We can't live without motorways
Survey finds love-hate relationship
We love 'em, we hate 'em
Fans setting off to Premier League fixtures next weekend by road would have to give themselves an extra eleven and a half hours to get there if we did not have motorways, according to the RAC Foundation during National Motorway Month.
They would also be less likely to arrive at all. Motorways are the UK’s safest roads. If Britain had no motorways, an extra 600 people would die on the roads - an increase of 20 per cent.
National Motorway Month is a four-week campaign promoting safer motorway driving. The campaign is jointly run by the RAC Foundation, the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the Freight Transport Association and BSM Driving Schools.
The Premiership League Table for fans saving most time by travelling on motorways this weekend shows:
1. Blackburn
2. Watford
3. Spurs
4. Middlesbrough
5. Fulham and Man City
Blackburn fans travelling to Portsmouth make the biggest time saving by taking motorways rather than other roads (saving 105 minutes). Fans from newly promoted Watford are in at second place with savings of 100 minutes. Spurs fans on the way to Bolton cut out just over 90 minutes by sticking to motorways. Boro fans off to newly promoted Reading save ninety minutes plus four minutes added on time. Fulham fans going to Old Trafford and Man City fans visiting Stamford Bridge drew in equal fifth place as both save 74 minutes.
These figures were compiled using the RAC's route planner to work out the time differences between using motorways or not. Many motorists complain about motorways but tend to forget what it was like trying to get around the UK before the motorway network was constructed.
Motorway fact-file
- In England, motorways account for less than one per cent of the total road length but carry nearly 20 per cent of traffic. In Scotland, motorways form just 0.7 per cent of the roads but carry 14 per cent of traffic, while in Wales, motorways form only 0.4 per cent of the road network but must carry 12 per cent of traffic.
- In the last ten years there has been a 36.6 per cent increase in motorway traffic, but only an eight per cent increase in motorway length.
- When the M6 Preston by-pass, the first stretch of motorway, opened in 1958, there were 7 million vehicles on the road, and only one-third of British households had access to a car. Today there are 32 million vehicles on the road, and two-thirds of British households have access to one or more cars.
- One-third of British motorists agree that motorway congestion is a serious problem in the UK (British Social Attitudes Survey). The Highways Agency estimates that most congestion is caused by volume of traffic (65 per cent), then accidents (25 per cent) and road works (10 per cent).
- The M25 is 118 miles long.
- There are 68 services stations on the network.
- When Norwich City FC was in the Premiership some teams hated travelling there due to the lack of motorway (or even dual carriageway) access.
In a poll for National Motorway Month last year 60 per cent of motorists had a favourite motorway - with the M1 coming out tops. The M1 is essential for soccer trips such as Watford FC to Sheffield Utd. One third of drivers said the M25 is their least favourite motorway to drive on, followed by 15 per cent who cited the M6 as the road they love to hate.
These motorways are also the nation’s busiest, suggesting that congestion and volume of traffic on motorways are key to deciding the least favoured. However a love-hate relationship exists as some motorways polled in the favourite top ten as well as in the least favourite top ten motorways.
When asked which of the following factors were most important in deciding which was their favourite motorway, respondents replied:
- 23 per cent - lack of traffic/congestion.
- 14 per cent - route to visit family/friends.
- Seven per cent - route to holiday destination.
- Five per cent - nice scenery.
- Five per cent - best work commute route.
- Four per cent - quiet road surface.
- One per cent - plenty of service areas.
Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation said: “We tend to forget what life was like without motorways. Remember trying to get from Heathrow to Gatwick without the M25? Blackburn fans driving to Portsmouth would not contemplate the journey without using motorways. Premiership fans will save the equivalent of 7 matches plus two lots of extra time by sticking to motorways on their way to Premiership matches this weekend.
"Soccer fans and WAGs keen to avoid extra time on their journeys should check out the best motorway routes and travel conditions before setting off.
“Motorists seem to have a love- hate relationship with motorways. They love them for getting to sporting events faster but hate getting caught up in congestion.”
Oh I don't know. I used to go to a lot of Watford FC away games, and have done about 70 league grounds around England and Wales, so have spent an awful lot of time on motorways, mainly the M1 and M6. The amount of football traffic on the network on any given Saturday is pretty impressive once you start looking. Stopping at places like Leicester Forest East or Hilton Park, you see all manner of coaches and colours. As it says in the article, Watford to Sheffield is a doddle on the M1, but fairly nightmarish any other way. I wouldn't even begin to consider going to Grimsby without the M1/M18/M180. Well ok, most folk wouldn't begin to consider going to Grimsby at all, but football does weird things to you
I'd agree it's a slow news week though. "Fast direct route gets you there quicker than slow indirect route". Well duh.
If I'm doing a multi-00-miler on motorways I'll break it up by putting 30-40 miles of A-road in the middle of the journey, for fear of going nuts otherwise. Frinstance come 6pm on the M6 16-19 stretch you might as well make no progress at all tootling up rural roads around the A50 as make no progress at all queueing up the M6.
Likewise, Northampton-Snake Pass-M60-Bolton is reliably just under 4 hours as opposed to doing it the M1-M6-Toll-M6-M62-Bolton way which can be anything between 2.5 and 6 hours, and frankly it's random. Because it also so soul-destroying I've settled for the average consistent and entertaining just-under-4-hours route.
In other words, some bits of motorway are useful in their current state, some are not, and this changes as long-term roadworks come and go and lane-widening schemes are implemented.
Think this applies to most motorways.
Well seems to be the ones I travel on anyway M5, M6, M42, M40 M25..........................................
Yes, on the rare occasion, I find my self travelling faster in lane 1 than the other lanes, strange but true.
Having just completed 1670 miles in three days (Scotland and back) There are noumerus things that are wrong with Britains motorways.(and my spelling)
1/ Not enough of them! all the money they get and for example, we get two lanes on the M42 from Tamworth to Ashby,then it turns to a dual carrigeway, and Three lanes where 5 lanes minimum are required!!! (wait for tree huggers to send nasty reply!)
2/People who have absolutelty NO IDEA! how to drive on motorways. (police marksmen placed at every intersection to pick the B*ggers off!!) no brain no pain! (Wait for full frontal labottamy,s to reply)
3/Lane hoggers (see 2/ above)(wait for "Richard Heads" to reply)
When the government realize that ALL drivers need proper training, (and if they cannot pass the test are NOT allowed on motorways)
Spend some of the money from speeding fines on "simulators" and have compulsary tests at lets say the shopping mall, If they are to thick to handle the test, fit them with explosive sensors that alerts the police if they are on the motorway!! and they throw the switch to end there pathetic driving for good!
Rant over, time to be wheeled out in to the pretty garden, as I must be a looney to think any of the above is worth considering!! ( apart from the exploding sensor thingies)
AAAHHHGGGGG!!!
If you want them to drive in Lane 1, why don't you?
Snipe detection alert!
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SNIP in the post...
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