MOST motorists back the Highways Agency's move to increase speed limits through motorway road works to 60mph, according to a new poll by Motorpoint.

The online survey found 52.6 per cent of drivers welcomed the change which comes into force with immediate effect.

Some 1,024 people took part in the poll on the Motorpoint website.

The Highways Agency recently conducted a series of trials on the M1, M4 and M6 allowing cars to travel at 60mph through eight different sets of roadworks to measure journey times as well as safety levels.

Under the new rules speed limits will be classed as either Permanent, which allows for driving at 60mph at all times; Contraflow, which allows for driving at 60mph where construction activity isn't taking place and Dynamic, which lifts the limit from 50 to 60mph only on non-working days.

Mark Carpenter, chief executive officer of Motorpoint, said: "The results of our poll clearly echo the frustration of so many drivers over the years who have spent countless hours crawling through motorway roadworks in their cars.

"It's refreshing to see the Highways Agency ‘challenging the norm' as they say and recognising that increasing the speed limit through roadworks does help reduce journey times, especially at a time when we need to get Britain moving again, but doesn't compromise people's safety in the process."