The UKs best and worst roads - according to delivery drivers & the general public[51122]

Delivery drivers for online electricals retailer AO have crowned the A9 in Scotland as the best road to drive in the UK, whereas research reveals that the British public prefer the A591 in the Lake District National Park.

Both delivery drivers and the public agreed that the M6 and M25 motorways are the worst roads to drive in the UK.

The retailer surveyed its fleet of over 700 drivers to get their opinion on the best and worst roads.

The A9 between Perth and Inverness in Scotland came out on top, closely followed by Cornwall’s Atlantic Highway (A39) and the North Wales Expressway (A55). When asked what criteria makes a road the best to drive, the drivers preferred roads that were long and clear, often with stunning scenery.  

However, the M6 between Manchester and Birmingham was voted the worst road to drive, followed by the M25 around Greater London – due to traffic and congestion on these routes.   

A recent survey of the public from AO.com also reveals that almost one fifth (18%) believe the picturesque A591 is the best road to drive, closely followed by the A170 across the North Yorkshire Moors (13%) and the A39, Cornwall’s Atlantic Highway (11%).

The 2,000 people surveyed agreed with AO’s drivers on the worst roads - over a third (36%) said that the M25 circling Greater London is the worst road to drive, followed by the M6 (26%).

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Over half (54%) of respondents chose the best road based on the picturesque scenery, whereas over a third (36%) picked a road that was fun to drive. When it came to the worst roads, over half (58%) of those surveyed chose their road based on the constant traffic and it always being busy.

The research also revealed that while over a third of those polled (35%) go for a drive to get from A to B, one in five (19%) choose to go for a drive to simply relax and unwind.

When asked whether they would enjoy driving for a living, over a third (38%) revealed they would love a job behind the wheel.

David Ashwell, managing director of AO Logistics, said: “It’s no surprise that over a third of the people surveyed expressed an interest in driving for a living.

"The UK has some stunning driving routes - our drivers are out on these roads every day, so they know them better than most. Travelling all over the country is certainly a perk of the job!”

Top 5 Best Roads – AO Drivers

  • A9 – Perth to Inverness, Scotland
  • A39 – The Atlantic Highway, Cornwall, England
  • A55 – North Wales Expressway, Wales
  • A38 – Devon Expressway, England
  • A5 – London to Holyhead Trunk Road, England/Wales

Top 5 Worst Roads – AO Drivers

  • M6 – Birmingham to Manchester, England
  • M25 – London, England
  • M62 – Leeds to Manchester, England
  • A13 – London, England
  • A19 – Newcastle to Doncaster, England

Top 5 Best Roads – Public

  • A591 – Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England
  • A170 – North Yorkshire Moors, England
  • A39 – The Atlantic Highway, Cornwall, England
  • A37 – Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England
  • A82 – Glasgow to Fort William, Scotland

Top 5 Worst Roads – Public

  • M25 – London, England
  • M6 – Birmingham to Manchester, England
  • M4 – London to South Wales, England/Wales
  • A406 – North Circular Road, London, England
  • A57 – Snake Pass, Peak District, England

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