The number of collisions and average delays on the road far exceed the national average, according to a new report
General view of traffic on the M32(Image: Paul Gillis/Bristol Live)
The M32 is one of the most dangerous and delay-affected motorways in the country, a new report has declared.
In 2024 there were an average of 2.2 collisions per kilometre on the road which links Bristol with the M4, more than twice the average of 1 collision per kilometre on motorways in England and Wales.
The M32 had the joint-highest number of collisions per kilometre of any motorway, tied with the M25 and the M602.
Anyone unfortunate enough to commute using the M32 will know the road is plagued by traffic jams; in 2024 it was one of the worst motorways in the country for tailbacks.
With an average delay of 24.9 seconds per vehicle per mile, the M32 was one of the slowest motorways in England and Wales. Motorists travelling on the M1 between London and Leeds experienced half the delays (12.6 seconds per vehicle per mile) as their Bristolian counterparts.
In the report by tyre specialists Blackcircles , compiled using government data, the M32 was declared the second most dangerous motorway overall in England and Wales. The M25, which encircles London, was deemed the most dangerous based on four factors: average number of vehicles per day, collisions per km of motorway, average speed, and average delay time.
Like the M25, there is a high volume of vehicles on the M32, especially in relation to its size; 75,000 vehicles per day squeeze onto a section of road ten times shorter than the national average, which causes long delays as well as many collisions.
The M45 motorway, in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, had the fewest collisions per kilometre, at an average of just 0.2. However, that road has one of the lowest traffic volumes of any motorway in the UK.
According to the report, the most likely cause for collisions on UK motorways was “ineffective observation” by drivers, riders or pedestrians.
Dangerous or reckless driving was the second most common cause, followed by motorists driving too fast for the conditions they were in.
Sudden braking and slippery road surfaces rounded out the top five causes of accidents.