M6 Toll Road

Ok a weird one. The M6 Toll road. In my work I have occasional cause to drive (I know; filthy habit) to the North West. This has always necessitated the passing of Birmingham.

Passing the RAC headquarters at Birmingham seems to throw drivers into a confused mess. They stop. Perhaps to admire its mid-nineties modernist glassy stylings, maybe to marvel that wherever you are in the country, if you phone the RAC, your call will be put through to someone with a headset on fed up of watching static traffic out the window, sat right there in Birmingham, or maybe even to take pictures to show the grandchildren.

Whatever the reason may actually be, driving from London to the North West is let down by Birmingham and more specifically the rubbernecking at this glass monolith.

Help is now at hand in the form of the M6 Toll section. Its not actually the M6; its another brand new road. You pay to use it, its like France in that respect. Not much; 2 or something.

You're thinking "2 to go on a road. All the others are free!" You're right of course. But if I said, give me 2 and I'll give you an extra hour or so of your life. And not the bad, nappy-wearing part of your life, the good bit, when they still let you drive and you have all of (or most of) your faculties. You'd pay right? Exactly.

Now the icing on the cake is that this new road seemingly has no speed limit. Now I am not condoning speeding but they (M6 Toll Road owners? Police? just "they" OK!) seem to have taken the commercial view that, if people have to pay then they should be receiving some beneficial service or preferential treatment. The kicker of this payment is the 'blind eye' turned to driving fast.

A recent report cited the road as the fastest motorway in the country with the daytime AVERAGE speed being 79mph and the same at night time a staggering 88mph (we're looking at YOU Marty McFly).

Also its well lit, dead flat and even has gently banked curves for cornering. All in all, if you are going to speed anyway, and you have a safe car in which to do it, and your driving and reactions are up to the task, then the M6 Toll Road is the best place in the country to do so.

The big downside obviously is the fact that you miss out that big tourist attraction, the RAC building just outside of Walsall. You have to factor this into your decision.

DISCLAIMER: Do not come crying to me if you are caught 'driving it like you stole it' down the M6 Toll Road. Other roads are available.