I think the M55 in Blackpool is a piece of cake, try driving down the M60 in Manchester - that's challenging
“There are far worse motorways and junctions”
The M55 has been named among the UK's most challenging motorways for drivers, ranking sixth in a new study assessing factors including collisions, delays, traffic flow and road incidents.
The motorway is a key route into Blackpool, connecting the seaside resort with the wider Lancashire road network and providing an important link to the M6.
However many people believe the M55 is an easy one to navigate, some would even say it’s a learner motorway.
Tim Coulton said: “The M55 is probably the easiest bit of Motorway to navigate after leaving anywhere further south than Preston.
Christian Cox said the M55 was a piece of cake. “Try driving down the M60 with endless traffic jams, roadworks and smart motorways. That’s challenging,” he said.
Research by MoneySuperMarket found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving stressful, despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain's motorways each year.
Gavin Breakell agreed with the general consensus. “There are far worse motorways and junctions. Where the M61 joins the M60 junction, it is a terrible junction. It’s such a small junction.”
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Neale Hall said it was the drivers that needed watching: “It’s not a challenging motorway. But it is full of challenging drivers who should learn how to drive.”
According to the study, the M55 recorded 14 collisions in the past year, with a collision risk of 0.725 and an average delay of 5.22 minutes.
The motorway carries around 25,679 vehicles, while 888 incidents were recorded on the road and a further 824 at junctions.