M25 takes top three spots for worst motorway sections

The Buckinghamshire stretch of the orbital motorway between the M4 junction 15 and the M40 junction 16 was gauged to be the busiest, with an average of more than 200,000 vehicles using its four lanes each day. The M25 Hillingdon boundary at junction 14 came second, with its proximity to Heathrow airport compounding regular congestion and delays. Third spot, according to the insurance comparison site iSelect, was the Surrey segment between junction 13 and 14, which suffers from both local and through traffic.

Other motorways in the top 10 include the M60 junction 13 to 12 in Salford; the M6 in Warrington junction 20 to 21 and a stretch of the M1 in Hertfordshire. "Economic hubs naturally attract high numbers of workers, shoppers and visitors, but inadequate public transport can leave few alternatives to driving," said an iSelect spokesperson. "Together, these pressures create persistent highway congestion statistics and turn key routes into year-round traffic hotspots."

Last year, a survey by Transport Focus found the M42 was the worst motorway in England among road users, due to a large number of roadworks, poor road quality and reduced speed limits.