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M60 dubbed the UK’s most challenging motorway in new research
New research names M48 the best motorway to drive on in the UK, but Greater Manchester’s M60 is best avoided
The M60 in Greater Manchester has been named the UK’s most challenging motorway following a study by price comparison site MoneySuperMarket.
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The study, called the Great British Motorway Report, takes into account a number of factors to rank the UK’s major motorways and service stations on how stressful they are for drivers. These include congestion, collisions and service availability for motorways, as well as food and drink options, electric car (EV) charging points and family-friendly facilities in service stations.
According to the report, the M60 achieved the lowest overall score, driven mostly by its long delays, at an average of 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile. Having recorded 34 collisions in the past year, according to figures from the Department for Transport, it averages a collision risk of 0.599 per kilometre (km).
Following the M60 is the UK’s busiest motorway, the M25, encircling Greater London and the South East. Despite recording similar average traffic flow to the M60 – 68,389 vehicles compared with 64,835 on the M60 – it saw more than six times as many collisions in the past year, at 204. As such, it averages a collision risk of 1.099 per km. The M25’s average delays, however, are marginally shorter than those of the M60, at 15.36 seconds per vehicle per mile.
Eleanor Cooper
Updated: 21 September 2026
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At the other end of the scale, the M48 was ranked the best motorway for drivers, thanks to its low collision risk and limited delays. Connecting Gloucestershire in England with Monmouthshire in South Wales, the M48 is only 13 miles long, and recorded just one collision in the past year, with an average of 0.048 collisions per km.
The study also found that the M40’s Moto Cherwell Valley service station near Bicester, Oxfordshire, was the strongest service station in terms of all-round customer experience. It offers 11 food and drink options and 24 EV charging points, as well as a soft play area and dog walking facilities.
The A1(M)’s Moto Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire ranked the worst of all service stations in the report, with just two food and drink options and no shops or family-friendly facilities.
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