Highway Code rule sees drivers hit with £500 fine along motorways
Almost 8,000 bags of litter were collected by National Highways as part of a nationwide effort to clean up the country's motorways and major a-roads this spring.
08:12, 24 Jul 2025
Almost 8,000 bags of litter were collected by National Highways as part of a nationwide effort to clean up the country's motorways and major a-roads this spring.
A Highway Code rule could see drivers slapped with an eye-watering GBP500 fine along A-roads and motorways.[1] Almost 8,000 bags of litter were collected by National Highways as part of a nationwide effort to clean up the country's motorways and major a-roads this spring.
That equates to approximately 65 tonnes or the weight of around 50 cars' worth of rubbish dumped on the side of England's major roads.
That means staff collected 30% more rubbish than the same period last year.[2]
National Highways' teams collected the litter as part of the Great British Spring Clean, which aims to reduce the impact of litter on the environment and wildlife and is run by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.
National Highways Head of Customer Journeys, Freda Rashdi, said: "Clearing litter from our roads costs taxpayers millions of pounds so by disposing of litter responsibly, we can keep our roads safe and clear of rubbish and reduce the costs to the public.
"Our message is really simple, don't litter.
Putting your rubbish in the bin doesn't just help drivers, but goes a long way to protecting the wildlife and the environment."
The RSPCA has received more than 10,000 reports of animals found injured, trapped or dead from discarded litter over the last three years - that's nearly 10 reports every day.
Meanwhile, a recent study by National Highways found that 20% of drivers who admitted to littering said they intentionally discarded biodegradable waste to feed the wildlife.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal states that drivers can receive a penalty notice up to a maximum amount of GBP500.
Highway Code Rule 147 also states that drivers should be considerate of all types of road users, especially those requiring extra care.
It adds: "You MUST NOT throw anything out of a vehicle; for example, food or food packaging, cigarette ends, cans, paper or carrier bags."
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