Four motorways across Greater Manchester have been named among the top 10 slowest in England, according to new data.
While the country’s extensive network of motorways are to be credited with keeping us all moving and connected, there’s no denying they can also be massively frustrating, especially when we find ourselves stuck in stationary traffic or facing heavy delays that are out of our control.
Some motorways are definitely more prone to delays than others though, and prove to be routes that regular road users dread travelling on.
But which of England’s motorways are actually the slowest?
Leading car insurance comparison platform, Comparethemarket, decided to get to the bottom of it by carrying out some research using Department for Transport (DfT) congestion statistics data to reveal which routes across the country have the slowest average speeds, and where drivers can expect to experience the longest delays too.
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The A627(M) in Greater Manchester / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
Probably unsurprisingly, London has the slowest collection of motorways in the country, with average speeds of 50.8 miles per hour, and also has the longest delay times across its multiple motorways, with average delays are around 13.8 seconds per vehicle per mile.
The highest-ranking Greater Manchester route on the slowest motorways list is the A627(M) at fifth place, which runs between Chadderton and Rochdale – with an average speed of 49mph.
This is then closely followed by the M602 – which is a four-mile route leading traffic into Salford towards Manchester by-passing Eccles – at number seven on the list with an average speed of 53mph, and the M67 – which heads east from the M60 motorway passing through Denton and Hyde, before ending near Mottram in Tameside – at number eight with an average speed of 53.8mph.
Top 10 Slowest Motorways in England
A308(M) Maidenhead – 30.8mph
A38(M) Birmingham – 44.2mph
M32 Bristol – 48mph
M181 Scunthorpe – 48.6mph
A627(M) Greater Manchester – 49mph
M621 Leeds – 49.8mph
M602 Greater Manchester – 53.3mph
M67 Greater Manchester – 53.8mph
M606 West Yorkshire – 53.9mph
M60 Manchester – 54.5mph
Closing out the list at 10th place is arguably the region’s most major motorway route – the M60.
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The M60 motorway, along with the Manchester Ring Motorway or Manchester Outer Ring Road, is an orbital motorway passing through most of Greater Manchester’s boroughs and encompassing most of Manchester – with an average speed of 54.5mph.
The slowest motorway is the A308(M) in Maidenhead, which is also considered one of England’s shortest at just 0.6 miles long, with average speeds of just 30.8mph.
Four Greater Manchester motorways rank in the top 10 slowest in England / Credit: Comparethemarket
Overall, when the average speed is combined with the longest delay times, the North West ranks as the fourth most affected region in England.
Winter months October, November, and December came out as the slowest months for motorway traffic, and also have the longest delay times – which Compare The Market says is because weather can have a big impact on driving conditions, with fog, icy roads, and heavy rain leading to increased risk of accidents, and therefore delays.
Drivers also tend to be more cautious with speeds during adverse weather conditions, which will bring down overall speeds on the road.
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April and May are the fastest months on England’s motorways, and also have the shortest delay times.
This is perhaps because the Spring months tend to offer better driving conditions and are also outside of the school summer holidays, which means less chance of holiday traffic.
NHS releases list of first conditions set to be eligible for new ‘online hospital’
Emily Sergeant
The first conditions that are set to be eligible for video appointments via the new NHS online hospital have been revealed.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in September of last year, the Government has announced that the NHS would be setting up an ‘online hospital’ known simply as NHS Online – which will not have a physical site and instead digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere across the country.
Ultimately, this means patients can be seen faster than normal, as teams triage them quickly through the NHS App and let them book in scans at times that suit them at centres closer to their home.
NHS Online – which will begin to see its first patients in 2027 – is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years, according to the NHS, which is four times more than an average NHS trust.
And now, the NHS has selected nine ‘common’ conditions which will be the first to be treated by the NHS Online service.
📲 Introducing NHS Online 📲
A new digital hospital will transform healthcare.
From 2027, you'll be able to get specialist care:
✅ straight to your home via the NHS App ✅ faster than a traditional hospital appointment ✅ wherever you live in England
Women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that can be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available for online referrals, as will prostate problems like prostate enlargement and a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, along with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
NHS Online will also provide support for other painful and distressing conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
So, how will NHS Online work then? Well, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care instead, and then from there, they’ll be able to book directly through the NHS App.
Once referred to the online hospital, patients will have the ability to see specialists from around the country without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
The NHS has released a list of the first conditions set to be eligible for the new ‘online hospital’ / Credit: Nordwood Themes (via Unsplash) | rawpixel
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, then they’ll be able to book this in at a time that suits them at Community Diagnostic Centres closer to home.
Patients will also be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition at home too.
“We’ve selected nine common conditions which the NHS Online service will initially provide support for when it launches next year, including some women’s health issues as well as prostate problems,” commented Professor Stella Vig, who is the National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England.
“We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK to ‘protect’ kids’ health
Emily Sergeant
Junk food advertisements are now banned on television before 9pm in the UK in a bid to help protect children’s health.
In what is being considered a ‘landmark’ move by the Government, as of today, adverts for less-healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm and online at all times, as part of world-leading action that is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
It’s also expected that this ‘decisive’ action will deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
According to the Government, evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat – shaping their preferences from a young age, and ultimately increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are overweight or living with obesity, and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK / Credit: Alan Hardman | Kobby Mendez (via Unsplash)
This change is part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to ‘lift children out of poverty’ and help give them the ‘best start’ in life – with other measures being the introduction of the Healthy Food Standard, and giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops opening outside schools.
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life,” explained Health Minister Ashley Dalton, as the junk food advert ban comes into force.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Featured Image – Karolina Kołodziejczak (via Unsplash)
Emily Sergeant -
15th May 2023 
