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M20 ranked England’s best motorway for driver satisfaction

The M27 was named the worst motorway in England, with 56% of drivers being satisfied with their journey.

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A survey conducted by Transport Focus has named the M20 England’s best motorway, with a 79% driver satisfaction rate.

The M27 was named the worst motorway in England, with 56% of drivers being satisfied with their journey.

Drivers took issue with the roadworks on the M27, criticising the reduced speed and narrow lanes, while some drivers said they rarely see roadworks actually taking place.

Transport Focus asked more than 9,500 drivers about their last journey on a motorway or major A-road managed by National Highways.

Overall driver satisfaction was 71%, up from 69% in 2025.

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Satisfaction with smart motorways increased to 66%, up from 60% last year, following the completion of the National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) programme, however drivers still felt less safe on smart motorways.

78% of drivers said they felt safe on smart motorways, compared with 82% on regular motorways.

Roadworks were found to have a significant interest in driver satisfaction, with 58% of drivers encountering roadworks reporting satisfaction, compared with 77% for drivers that did not.

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Satisfaction on the M1 was 74% in 2026, compared with 57% when it was undergoing works from the NEAR programme.

Transport Focus called on National Highways to ensure future roadworks are well-planned, clearly communicated and efficiently delivered.

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The highest-ranked A-road was the A30, which scored the same 79% satisfaction as the M20.

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Other roads with high satisfaction included the M56 and M5, which both scored 78%.

The M42 had the lowest satisfaction with journey time, at 52%, along with the second-lowest overall score (61%).

Among A-roads, the A12 was ranked worst, with 64% overall satisfaction and 52% satisfaction with the road service.

Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, said: “This year’s results show that positive improvements to the road user experience are possible.

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“Overall satisfaction has increased and there are encouraging signs that drivers are noticing improvements in key areas, however drivers continue to tell us that roadworks can make or break a journey.

“The next five years will bring significant investment as National Highways embarks on a major programme to repair and renew England’s roads.

“By applying the positive lessons from recent schemes, National Highways has an opportunity to ensure roadworks are well planned, clearly communicated and minimise disruption wherever possible.

“We’ll continue to work closely with National Highways to bring the voice of road users into decisions and help ensure this investment delivers the greatest possible benefit for drivers.”

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