Milton Keynes motorway junction achieves national fame - as a hotspot for breakdowns

The Milton Keynes to Northampton stretch come out at number two in the top 10 table of problem areas, according to data gathered by MoneySuperMarket car insurance company.

Their analysis is based on a Freedom of Information request to National Highways - and it also shows that breakdowns across the motorway network are rising, with a 60% increase in incidents since 2020.

Junction 14/15 on the M1 at Milton Keynes/Northampton saw 1,775 breakdowns in 2024, ranking second nationally in the hotspot stakes.

Overall, Junction 11/12 on the M62 at Warrington/Eccles saw the most breakdowns in 2024 – a total of 2,080 incidents and an average of six per day.

However, the M6 is the most breakdown-prone motorway, accounting for half of the top 10 locations

All top 10 hotspots are on all-lane running smart motorways, where hard shoulders have been permanently removed

A full breakdown of the top 10 locations and supporting insights from the car insurance team at MoneySuperMarket are included in the press release below.

The top 10 motorway breakdown locations are all-lane running smart motorways, where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a live lane

A spokesperson for MoneySuperMarket said: “Though car ownership in the UK has been steadily rising, many breakdowns may come as a result of owners skipping routine maintenance due to cost, with research finding that a quarter2 (25%) of UK drivers admitted to skipping their annual vehicle service due to cost, with this number even higher among younger drivers.”