M6 the UK's most dangerous road for debris

• Debris was reported 68,410 times on Britain’s motorways and A-roads in 2022 – the equivalent of 192 incidents each day.
• The M6 in England, M8 in Scotland and A55 in Wales had the highest number of reported debris incidents in each country.
• Building materials, vehicles parts and roadkill are among the most common types of debris found on English roads.
• Drivers can report obstructions on motorways and A roads to National Highways in England, Traffic Scotland or Traffic Wales.

The M6 is the most dangerous road for debris in the UK, according to new Freedom of Information research commissioned by Green Flag¹, one of the UK’s leading breakdown providers. There were 7,284 incidents of debris along the M6 in 2022 – the most recorded on any major road in the UK - followed by the M1 (6,424 incidents) and the M5 (4,999 incidents).

Debris on motorways and A-roads can be particularly dangerous given the speeds that motorists are travelling. Even small pieces of debris on roads can cause significant damage to tyres or windscreens.

Overall, road debris was reported 68,410 times on Britain’s major roads in 2022 - equivalent to 192 incidents every day. This is an eight per cent decline from 2021 when there were 74,290 reports of debris.

In Scotland, there were 5,291 incidents of debris on major roads managed by Transport Scotland in 2022 – down from 7,899 in 2021. The M8, which connects Glasgow and Edinburgh, saw the highest number of reports of road debris in Scotland. This was followed by the M9, M90, A9 and A720.  

There were 1,551 reports of debris on roads managed by the Welsh Government in 2022 – down from 1,905 in the previous year. Of these the A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, had the most instances of road debris last year. The A4232 was the second most perilous road in Wales when it came to road debris, followed by the A470, A48M and M4 respectively.

Table one: Top ten roads with most debris in England in 2022

Source: Green Flag 2023

Of the 61,568 incidents on English roads, the most common types of debris reported were building materials, vehicle parts and tyres. Roadkill was responsible for 3,149 incidents and sports equipment for 348 incidents. 

Source: Green Flag 2023

Drivers can report any debris spotted on motorways and A-roads to the specific agency that manages the roads in the country where the incident occurs - National Highways (Highways England), Traffic Scotland or Traffic Wales. Motorists should not attempt to remove any debris themselves. If there is debris on a road as a result of an accident, it could be illegal for drivers to move it from the scene. Drivers should leave the debris where it is, even if it’s blocking the road for others and report the incident to highway authorities or police. More information and contact details for each agency is available at: https://www.gov.uk/report-obstruction-road

Katie Lomas, Managing Director of Green Flag, commented: “Road debris is an unwanted distraction that causes drivers to have to move lanes quickly, slow down at short notice or sometimes even stop. The data shows that incidents continue to be extremely common, highlighting how important it is for drivers to concentrate, drive at sensible speeds and to be on high alert every time they go on a motorway, or major road.  If you do spot debris on a motorway, you should report it to the relevant agency as soon as it is safe to do so.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Simon Ansell

Green Flag PR Lead

Simon.ansell@directlinegroup.co.uk

Notes to editors:

¹ Freedom of Information Act requests made to National Highways, The Welsh Government, and Transport Scotland in April 2023

The Welsh Government and Transport Scotland only provided data on the total incidents of debris for the roads that each organisation manages. A breakdown of the types of debris on the roads in each country is not available.

About Green Flag 

With over 50 years' experience, Green Flag provides customers with breakdown cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customers have access to a network of breakdown operators across the UK and mainland Europe (Euro Plus cover required). 

Green Flag is underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. 

Green Flag and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

Customers can find out more about Green Flag products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 1557, connecting via the Green Flag Rescue Me Application, or visiting www.greenflag.com