The M25 – a 117-mile orbital motorway bordering Greater London – has been ranked as one of the UK’s worst motorways for vehicle breakdowns.
This comes after research conducted by the comparison website, which submitted an FOI to National Highways to uncover the UK motorways with the poorest breakdown records.
How many breakdowns were there?
According to data, National Highways recorded a total of 27,335 breakdowns (283 per mile) in 2024.
These figures increased from the previous year when a total of 26,395 incidents were recorded (230 per mile) in 2023.
Alongside the M25, other nearby Kent motorways including the M20 running between Swanley and Folkestone were also among the worst for breakdowns according to research.
The M25 is one of Britain’s busiest motorways with around 200,000 vehicles using the motorway every day.
What to do if you break down on the motorway
Under AA’s advice, if you break down on a motorway with a hard shoulder, motorists should get off the motorway as quickly as possible, either at the next exit or by pulling off to the hard shoulder.
Motorists should turn on hazard lights and keep sidelights on if conditions are dark or foggy, keeping themselves visible and waiting in a safe place outside of the vehicle until help arrives.
If you break down on a smart motorway without a hard shoulder, motorists should get to an emergency area (EA) as quickly as possible if the car cannot be driven to a service area.
If your car breaks down in a live lane, the advice is to get the vehicle onto a left lane as quickly as possible, turning the hazards on.
If you’re in the left-hand lane and it’s safe to do so, get out of the vehicle on the left-hand (passenger) side and wait behind the barrier.
Once at a safe point, motorists should contact AA on 0330 102 9983 for assistance.
