The worst places in the UK for litter–riden roads have been revealed in a new report by the AA.
Experts at the motoring firm surveyed more than 11,000 drivers in the UK about how much rubbish they’d seen on roads and surrounding areas.
Over half (55 per cent) said they’d noticed more than usual – while just six per cent said they had seen seen less.
Sadly, the figure is up three per cent from May 2024 when 52 per cent of drivers said they regularly saw rubbish on UK streets.
Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, called the findings ‘a wake–up call’.
‘Tossing rubbish from vehicles spoils the environment, costs millions, and puts road workers’ lives at risk when they must clear up,’ he said.
The Daily Mail’s interactive heatmap, based on the results, shows 12 UK regions – including London, South East, West Midlands and Northern Ireland.
Regions with darker colours have a higher proportion of respondents saying they have seen more roadside litter than before.
For the research, Yonder was commissioned to survey 11,020 AA members around the UK from October 14–22 this year.
Firstly, drivers were asked: ‘As you travel around, are you noticing more or less or the same amount of litter on the roads and surrounding areas?’
Overall, 55 of UK respondents said roadside litter is getting worse – up from 52 per cent in 2024 – but it seems in West Midlands the problem is most extreme.
In all, 63 per cent of respondents in the West Midlands said they’d noticed more litter – up from 56 per cent one year ago.
Roadside litter was also a significant problem in the North East – noticed by 58 per cent of respondents, up from 51 per cent in 2024.
In both Eastern England and Yorkshire & Humber, 57 per cent of respondents agreed there’s more litter than before, up from 51 per cent.
London was surprisingly low on the list – with 54 per cent (up from 49 per cent) noticing more than before.
Others below the national average were the North West (53 per cent), Scotland (50 per cent) and the South West (50 per cent).
More than half of UK drivers think litter on UK roads is getting worse, according to the survey results. Pictured, roadside litter in Edinburgh
At the bottom of the list is Northern Ireland (49 per cent down from 50 per cent), suggesting the Irish country has cleaner roads than those in Britain.
The survey also revisited public opinion on a measure that came into force in February 2022, allowing councils to issue civil penalties to the registered keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown – regardless of who was driving at the time.
In 2025, 51 per cent of respondents agreed that this is a reasonable approach, compared to 54 per cent in 2024 – meaning support has dipped slightly but a majority still back the principle.
As part of its ‘action plan’, the AA calls for more funding for local authorities for litter clean–ups and better public awareness.
Experts warn that litter pollutes the air, waterways and soil, harms ecosystems, endangers wildlife and creates an eyesore that can affect tourism.
Plastics, metals, glass and other materials can persist in the environment for thousands of years or more and can also be mistaken by wildlife for food – a mistake that can tragically prove fatal.
Street cleaners report having to collect a staggering 2 million items of litter a day, costing UK taxpayers more than £1 billion a year.
Solving the problem of roadside litter is not a task that falls solely to local authorities, the experts stress.
Many drivers have the attitude that throwing litter out of a car window makes it someone else’s problem , but King said it’s not difficult ‘to bag it and bin it’.
Everyone who has ever thrown litter out of their car to think about the effect they are having on the environment.
‘It is astonishing the number of plastic bottles, take–away wrappers and even kitchen sinks discarded at the roadside,’ said King.
‘The fact that most drivers support holding vehicle owners accountable shows there is public appetite for councils to enforce the rules more effectively.
‘However, we must also ensure that councils have the resources and technology to apply these powers fairly and effectively.
‘We need a national effort – combining education, enforcement, and corporate responsibility – to tackle what is fast becoming a roadside litter epidemic.’
