If you’ve ever been caught short on the motorway then you will appreciate the analysis of the longest combined motorway journey with no service stops - a huge 63 mile stint!
The long road to hell (or heaven if you hate motorway services) stretches from the M40 in Warwick, all the way up to the Telford section of the M54, a stretch of motorway which can be driven without encountering any services according to Motorway Services Online.
A spokesperson for Motorway Services Online said: “This involves taking the faster route via Birmingham Airport, the alternative route via the M5 is slightly longer but does include service areas.”
Those drivers familiar with the M25 will also know plenty about toilet-free stretches of motorway, the section from junction 9/10 to junction 23 is technically the longest stretch on one motorway, at 43-miles. Which is perhaps why Cobham services, which is at the beginning of that long run, is the is the biggest services in the UK, with two floors and a 36-pump petrol station… and plenty of toilets hopefully.
Motorway Services Online compiled the data in partnership with Select Leasing who company director, James O’Malley said: “We've all been there – caught short and desperately counting down the miles before you reach the next service station.
“And it's not just unpleasant, it can also be dangerous, too.
“When you desperately need the loo your concentration drifts and you lose focus, as you instead fantasise about relieving yourself.
“When you're piloting a moving vehicle down a busy motorway at 70mph-plus it's a distraction that's highly likely to impair your driving skill.
“It's worth familiarising yourself with the distances between motorway services on stretches of road you use frequently.
“And if you know you're about to embark on a long journey, plan comfort breaks in advance so that you're not caught short.”
15 longest motorway stretches without service stations
1. M25, Cobham to South Mimms - 43 miles
2. M4, Reading to Membury - 39 miles
3. M4, Membury to Chippenham - 36 miles
4. M1, Oval to Leicester Forest East - 35 miles
5. M11, Birchanger to Cambridge - 33 miles
6. M1, Woodall to Woolley Edge - 32 miles
7. M8, Paisley to Harthill - 31.5 miles
=8. M40, Beaconsfield to Wheatley - 29 miles
=8. M3, Winchester to Fleet - 29 miles
=8. M5, Sedgemoor to Gordano - 29 miles
=8. M6, Corley to Hilton Par - 29 miles
12. M62, Birch to Hartshead Moor - 28 miles
13. M6, Tebay to Southwaite - 27 miles
14. M6, Lymm to Charnock Richard - 24 miles
15. M20, Maidstone to Hythe - 23 miles