1 November 2024
The AA is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the UKs first full-length motorway, the M1 on November 2nd.
To coincide with the anniversary, The AA surveyed 10,237* drivers of which 7428 (72.6%) have driven on the M1. They were asked for their impressions of the congestion; road condition; road markings; signage; lighting; quality of service areas; and litter.
Over half (60%) responded that congestion is poor; a third say that the road condition is poor, but nearly half (48%) think the signage is excellent.
| Poor | Excellent | |
| Congestion | 60% | 10% |
| Road Condition | 33% | 24% |
| Road Markings | 21% | 39% |
| Signage | 16% | 48% |
| Lighting | 29% | 28% |
| Quality and Number of Service Areas | 37% | 22% |
| Amount Of Litter | 47% | 21% |
The first stretch opened between Watford and Rugby and was billed as the London to Birmingham motorway. It took 19 months to construct despite the poor weather conditions and 1958 being one of the wettest summers on record.
The M1 now runs for 193 miles linking London to Leeds. It was constructed in four phases with the final part opening in 1999. It quickly established itself as the North/South gateway.
“Whilst it has its issues, people forget or don’t realise what it was like before our major motorways were constructed.”
Prior to the construction of the UKs motorway network, drivers relied on a series of A roads which went through towns and villages, these were often single carriageway and very often congested.
The early M1 had no speed limit, crash barriers, or lights, and had soft verges rather than hard shoulders.
During the first year, 20,000 motorists used the M1 each day – today it’s between 130,000 and 140,000 a day.
14,000 drivers were assisted on the M1 in its first year of operation by a special fleet of AA Land Rover patrols coordinated from a special Mobile Operations Centre at Newport Pagnell. Last year, The AA attended 15,000 call outs on the motorway. The main causes of call out haven’t changed in the last 65 years – engine trouble; tyre issues; and flat batteries.
See what motoring was like in those early years of the M1:
In 2009, the first section was converted to Smart Motorway operation (between Luton South and the M25) – now 120 miles is subject to some form of smart motorway rules.
The AA has had severe reservations about smart motorways from the beginning, and 81% of members want to see them scrapped.
Recently unearthed footage filmed by the AA around the opening has been married with current day footage to give an idea of how the M1 has changed over the last 65 years.
With the development of motorways, came the advent of the motorway service area – the first were at Newport Pagnell and what is now known as Watford Gap (previously Blue Boar). Dozens of famous people stopped at the 24 hour restaurant, including The Beatles and Rolling Stones whilst they toured the UK. There are currently 12 service areas on the M1.
Edmund King, AA President, said: “The M1 has been the backbone of British motoring for 65 years. Whilst it has its issues, people forget or don’t realise what it was like before our major motorways were constructed.
"The construction of the M1 led to more freight moving to road enabling easier North to South delivery routes. Major towns and cities were congested, and journey times were much higher than they are today. However, more than half of motorists said congestion on the M1 is a major issue for them.
“The M1 transformed mobility in the UK – it enabled families to visit relatives in far-flung parts of the country which would have taken many more hours to get to and led to the expansion of motorway network we recognise today.”
* Yonder received 10,237 responses from AA members to its online poll between the 15th to 23rd October 2024 Yonder is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.