Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Lane Hog!
John Stapleton looks into why people Lane Hog and what effects it has on the driver hogging the lane and other road users.
Educating tomorrow's drivers
See how we are driving through key messages about safety on our network for the drivers of tomorrow.
Meet the Ancestors
Find out about the history of roads and the work the Agency does to preserve archaeological remains.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
Litter: Facts and Figures
Litter on the verges is not only unsightly but also very hazardous for the many animals that live along side our roads. What must visitors to our country think? What do you think? What can you do to help?
We can all do our little bit to improve our road network and the environment. So please take all rubbish home and dispose of it responsibly.
Did you know:
- Local Authorities across the country spend a total of around £500 million a year clearing up litter on trunk roads! It is your tax money paying to clean up the litter dropped.
- On the spot fines of £50 can be issued for littering, however you can be fined up to £2,500 in court.
- Most litter in the UK is found in car parks and lay-bys.
- A third of drivers throw litter while on the road.
- More than a quarter of motorists have had their windscreens hit by litter thrown from other vehicles.
- 3% of motorists have had an accident as a result of litter thrown from another car.
- Drivers are the worst litter droppers as they don’t think they can be connected to the crime. However, vehicle registration details are recorded and owners are traced through the DVLA.
Time spans for litter to degrade:
| Cigarette butts | 1-12 years |
| Orange/banana skin | 2 years |
| Plastic bags | 10-20 years |
| Leather shoes | 30-40 years |
| Aluminium cans | 80-100 years |
| Plastic 6-pack holder | 500 years |
| Plastic bottles | Not degradable |
| Glass | Not degradable |
Quantities of litter:
- The amount of litter dropped yearly in the UK has increased by 500% since the 1960s.
- In the UK an estimated 25 million tonnes/year is dropped - almost entirely food and drink packaging - this is as heavy as 62500 jumbo jets.
- Four years ago it was only five million tonnes/year.
- 1.3 million pieces of rubbish are dropped on Highways Agency roads every weekend.
- A study of service station slip roads showed that many motorists are stopping, shopping and then dropping litter. While 85% of entry roads were deemed clean, 78% of exit roads were viewed as unsatisfactory or given bottom marks.
- An estimated 122 tonnes of cigarette butts and cigarette related litter is dropped daily in the UK - that’s the same weight as 30 elephants!
- Fast food litter has increased by 50% in the last three years.
Effects on animals:
- Over 69,000 animals were killed or injured by litter last year in Britain.
- The rat population has boomed to 60 million due to the huge amounts of litter around. This means there are now almost as many rats as people in the UK.
