The transport watchdog has called on Highways England to focus its efforts to satisfy road users on speeding up journeys and improving road surface quality.
Transport Focus has published a summary report highlighting results from the first full year of the Strategic Roads User Survey (SRUS), which continues to show four out of five road users (82%) satisfied overall with their last journey on the strategic road network (SRN), as well as with journey time overall and road surface quality (both 81%).
Satisfaction with Highways England’s management of roadworks is lower at 65%, while 94% feel safe using the network.
Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: ‘The Strategic Roads User Survey gives Highways England the most robust picture ever at a national, regional and individual road level of driver satisfaction on the motorways and major A roads that it manages.
‘This survey reflects the experience of all drivers - whether in cars, vans, lorries, coaches or on a motorbike - across a range of key issues. The results show where Highways England should focus its efforts to maximise satisfaction, including reducing delays arising from accidents and improving user experience with journey time and road surface quality.’
The report, based on interviews with over 8,500 road users across the SRN, broke satisfaction levels down by regions and individual roads.
Drivers on the A19 through North Yorkshire, Teeside and County Durham were the most satisfied (95%). The best motorway (92%) was the M11 from London to Cambridge while the least satisfactory routes were the M20, M6 and M25 along with the A34 and the A52.
All satisfaction scores highlighted in the report are drawn from routes with a minimum of 100 survey responses. SRUS data is updated monthly on the Transport Focus Data Hub.
Pete Martin, Highways England's customer service director, said: 'We care about people using our network, and value independent research like this, alongside our own, which helps us to further understand how road users feel.
'We are pleased this research shows the majority of motorists are satisfied, but we are not complacent, and will continue to work hard to help every driver have safer and smoother journeys to the people and places that matter most to them.'
