M6 is the motorway with the most debris in the road that can cause accidents with 7,300 cases last year – find out which other routes are bad

Dropped truck tires, building materials, and auto parts are common sights in the medians, grass verges, and strewn lanes of our busiest roads.

In most cases, these are incidental and not a driver’s fault, but they still pose a huge risk to other motorists traveling on motorways at speeds of up to 110 km/h.

The motorway with the most debris has been exposed in a new study – and that is the M6.

Nearly 7,300 cases of road debris were reported by drivers last year, more than on any other major route in Britain.

Based on official figures, we reveal which foreign items are most common on our fastest roads.

This is according to a Green Flag Freedom of Information request to National Highways, the Government of Wales and Transport Scotland – the three bodies that oversee the safe operation of our fastest roads.

When asked how many incidents of motorway debris were reported to them by drivers in 2022, the M6 ​​topped the charts with 7,284 incidents.

Second in the list is the M1 with 6,424 cases brought to National Highways last year, while the M5 came in third with 4,999 incidents.

Debris on highways and A-roads can be particularly dangerous given the speeds at which motorists travel.

Even small bits of dirt on roads can cause significant damage to tires or windshields.

Of the 61,568 incidents on English roads, building materials, car parts and tires were the most common types of debris.

Dead animals – or “roadkill” – were responsible for 3,149 incidents and sports equipment – mostly sports shoes and other footwear – for 348 incidents.

The M6 ​​topped the charts with 7,284 road debris incidents reported to National Highways in 2022

A total of 68,410 roadside litter reports were reported to the three organizations in England, Scotland and Wales by 2022 – that’s an average of 192 incidents per day.

However, the number of cases is declining.

The number of incidents was 8 percent lower last year than in 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 – up 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.

In 2022, there were 1,551 reports of debris on roads managed by the Welsh Government – up from 1,905 in the previous year.

Of these, the A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, had the highest incidence of road debris last year. The A4232 was the second most dangerous road in Wales in terms of road debris, followed by the A470, A48M and M4 respectively.

Third overall in the list of most common road debris on a highway last year was tires — or parts of tires, as pictured here

Green Flag managing director Katie Lomas said road debris is an “unwelcome distraction” for motorists and that if they are forced to take evasive maneuvers – such as changing lanes, braking or stopping with little to no warning – it can often cause accidents.

“The data shows that incidents are still very common, highlighting how important it is for drivers to concentrate, drive at reasonable speeds and be highly alert every time they enter a motorway or main road.

‘If you do see debris on a highway, you must report it to the relevant authority as soon as possible.’

Drivers can report debris found on motorways and A-roads to the specific authority that manages the roads in the country where the incident occurs.

And motorists should not try to remove waste themselves.

If there is debris on the road as a result of an accident, it may be illegal for drivers to remove it from the crime scene.

Drivers should leave the debris where it is, even if it blocks the road for others, and report the incident to highway authorities or the police. More information and contact details per agency is available online.