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M1 traffic and collisions

The M1 is a motorway of 203.4 miles, from Barnet to Leeds. This page covers its traffic at 97 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.

Last updated
Records analysed
97 count points in 2025
Methodology
View methodology
  • Traffic in 2025 8.6bn vehicle miles
  • Average daily traffic 115,234 vehicles a day, both directions
  • Busiest section 160,205 J11 to J11A
  • HGV share 13.2% of vehicle miles
  • Traffic since 2019 +0.6% same count points
  • Collisions, 2021 to 2025 1,929 4.8 per 100m vehicle miles

How busy is the M1?

On an average day in 2025, 115,234 vehicles passed each point on the M1, counting both directions. The busiest section is J11 to J11A (Luton, Central Bedfordshire), with 160,205 a day; the quietest listed is A406 to M1 spur, with 45,493.

Busiest sections, 2025

J11 to J11A carries 1.4 times the road’s average flow.

Sections of the M1 with the highest average daily flow, 2025
Section Vehicles a day
J11 to J11A Luton, Central Bedfordshire · 1.8 mi · HGVs 13.3% 160,205
J42 to J43 Leeds · 1.5 mi · HGVs 8.1% 159,683
J7 to J8 Hertfordshire · 1.0 mi · HGVs 11.6% 158,937
J8 to J9 Hertfordshire · 4.4 mi · HGVs 12.2% 157,786
J21 to J21A Leicestershire · 3.0 mi · HGVs 12.9% 157,403
J9 to J10 Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire · 2.4 mi · HGVs 11.8% 157,370
J6A to J7 Hertfordshire · 2.5 mi · HGVs 11.8% 157,142
J31 to J32 Rotherham · 2.0 mi · HGVs 13.3% 155,303
J41 to J42 Leeds · 1.4 mi · HGVs 8.5% 152,398
J10 to J11 Central Bedfordshire, Luton · 3.4 mi · HGVs 12.2% 152,346

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Route

Barnet to Leeds · 203.4 miles

Barnet Leeds
Schematic route: each line joins the junctions at the ends of a DfT count point link.

M1 traffic and collisions by section

60 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 20 short link roads and spurs (6.9 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.

Show all 60 sections Tap a column heading to sort
Sections of the M1 in route order, 2025 traffic
#
1A406 to M1 spurBarnet2.545,4935.3%−12.9%3013.7
2J2 to J4Barnet4.266,6985.2%−20.3%326.4
3J4 to J5Harrow, Hertfordshire3.8100,5824.3%−4.1%456.6
4J5 to J6Hertfordshire2.5103,1784.1%−5.9%5411.6
5J6 to J6AHertfordshire0.775,0083.4%+3.8%1112.7
6J6A to J7Hertfordshire2.5157,14211.8%−4.1%536.8
7J7 to J8Hertfordshire1.0158,93711.6%−4.4%279.7
8J8 to J9Hertfordshire4.4157,78612.2%−5.2%14310.4
9J9 to J10Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire2.4157,37011.8%−0.1%608.4
10J10 to J11Central Bedfordshire, Luton3.4152,34612.2%+2.8%9710.0
11J11 to J11ALuton, Central Bedfordshire1.8160,20513.3%−1.9%479.8
12M1 slips north end to M1 slips south endCentral Bedfordshire0.6128,80514.4%+13.1%108.1
13J11A to J12Central Bedfordshire2.5137,67912.7%−13.9%5810.2
14J12 to J13Central Bedfordshire6.2137,14016.3%−4.2%845.8
15At J13Central Bedfordshire0.494,22315.3%−8.1%8–
16J13 to J14Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes4.5120,46415.9%+0.5%444.9
17J14 to J15Milton Keynes, West Northamptonshire12.2113,76215.4%−3.9%934.4
18J15 to J15AWest Northamptonshire2.7123,82216.4%+12.4%346.3
19J15A to J16West Northamptonshire3.9121,28016.8%+16.3%303.8
20J16 to J17West Northamptonshire8.6120,09218.5%−0.7%673.9
21J17 to J18West Northamptonshire2.0106,35118.4%+8.3%195.4
22J18 to M6West Northamptonshire, Leicestershire3.3110,87717.5%+1.3%182.8
23M6 to M6/A14Leicestershire0.771,33110.5%−4.9%fewer than 3–
24J19 to J20Leicestershire3.588,99413.8%+2.1%8–
25J20 to J21Leicestershire10.790,64715.9%+0.2%432.5
26J21 to J21ALeicestershire3.0157,40312.9%0.0%384.8
27J21A to J22Leicestershire5.6101,45414.2%+3.8%141.4
28J22 to J23Leicestershire4.6110,32213.6%+10.1%232.6
29J23 to J23ALeicestershire4.2106,78414.0%−11.9%141.7
30J23A to J24Leicestershire1.9131,39614.6%−12.2%143.1
31At A50Leicestershire1.1117,28613.7%−8.3%3–
32A50 to J25Leicestershire, Derbyshire4.3133,02313.6%+4.3%141.5
33J25 to J26Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Nottingham6.2134,58214.3%+3.7%513.6
34J26 to J27Nottinghamshire5.5129,50113.3%−5.4%262.1
35J27 to J28Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire3.4128,73713.7%−0.8%141.9
36J28 to J29Derbyshire6.8136,48915.5%−0.1%754.7
37J29 to J29ADerbyshire4.1123,52416.5%+3.9%232.6
38J29A to J30Derbyshire3.6129,46814.2%+4.6%273.5
39J30 to J31Derbyshire, Rotherham5.6122,20815.4%+2.0%574.8
40J31 to J32Rotherham2.0155,30313.3%+2.0%285.5
41J32 to M18 spurRotherham1.388,59211.9%+1.7%5–
42M18 spur to J33Rotherham2.4145,60110.6%+9.4%305.2
43J33 to J34Rotherham, Sheffield2.6113,27610.2%+1.9%306.6
44At J34Sheffield0.9138,0729.2%+16.5%fewer than 3–
45J34 to J35Sheffield3.0136,9268.5%+22.4%243.7
46J35 to J35ASheffield, Barnsley1.5127,1949.8%+13.5%154.4
47J35A to J36Barnsley1.6101,95310.0%+5.1%7–
48J36 to J37Barnsley4.0107,02610.3%+5.2%304.0
49J37 to J38Barnsley4.3100,62210.4%−1.4%243.2
50J38 to J39Barnsley, Wakefield3.597,47510.6%+0.5%254.5
51J39 to J40Wakefield2.6130,8969.1%+6.9%264.6
52J40 to J41Wakefield, Leeds2.7142,6158.8%+17.0%335.3
53J41 to J42Leeds1.4152,3988.5%+7.7%298.2
54J42 to J43Leeds1.5159,6838.1%−0.5%235.6
55J43 to J44Leeds1.479,48112.0%−8.2%4–
56J44 to J45Leeds1.3112,1199.4%+10.9%9–
57J45 to J46Leeds2.7110,1338.2%+3.7%152.9
58west end of Jn 46 to east end of Jn 46Leeds0.982,44910.2%+9.1%fewer than 3–
59J46 to J47Leeds2.483,4669.7%−3.8%174.7
60J47 to J48Leeds1.685,1049.8%+6.0%6–

Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the M1 as the first road, placed on the nearest section by their recorded position; rates (per 100 million vehicle miles) are shown for sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more.

M1 traffic by vehicle type

Cars and taxis make up 67.6% of the vehicle miles on the M1. HGVs account for 13.2%, rising to 18.5% on J16 to J17.

Vehicle mix, 2025

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

HGV share of traffic

HGVs as a share of vehicle miles on the M1, by year
Year HGV share
2000 15.3%
2001 14.9%
2002 14.9%
2003 14.4%
2004 15.1%
2005 14.7%
2006 14.2%
2007 14.3%
2008 14.0%
2009 12.9%
2010 13.4%
2011 13.0%
2012 12.6%
2013 12.7%
2014 13.1%
2015 13.6%
2016 13.7%
2017 13.6%
2018 13.9%
2019 13.5%
2020 17.2%
2021 16.5%
2022 14.7%
2023 14.2%
2024 14.0%
2025 13.2%

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

M1 traffic trend

Traffic on the M1 came to 8.56 billion vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 0.6% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 10.3% on 2015.

Vehicle miles a year

Like for like, traffic is up 27.0% on 2000.

Vehicle miles on the M1 each year, the whole road as it was that year
Year Vehicle miles
2000 6.6bn
2001 6.9bn
2002 7.1bn
2003 7.3bn
2004 7.6bn
2005 7.5bn
2006 7.5bn
2007 7.3bn
2008 7.2bn
2009 7.3bn
2010 7.3bn
2011 7.2bn
2012 7.4bn
2013 7.7bn
2014 7.6bn
2015 7.7bn
2016 7.8bn
2017 8.0bn
2018 8.1bn
2019 8.5bn
2020 6.4bn
2021 7.2bn
2022 8.1bn
2023 8.3bn
2024 8.1bn
2025 8.6bn

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Average daily flow

Average daily flow along the M1, weighted by link length, by year
Year Vehicles a day
2000 92,077
2001 96,299
2002 97,984
2003 101,322
2004 104,831
2005 103,428
2006 103,205
2007 101,458
2008 99,501
2009 100,655
2010 101,025
2011 99,939
2012 102,024
2013 105,322
2014 104,790
2015 105,922
2016 107,407
2017 108,298
2018 109,347
2019 114,575
2020 86,518
2021 96,420
2022 108,721
2023 112,251
2024 108,460
2025 115,234

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

The chart counts the whole road as it was each year, so new or renumbered stretches move it. The percentage changes compare only count points present in both years. In 2025, 87 of the 97 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.

M1 collisions

Police recorded 1,929 collisions with the M1 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 357 of them fatal or serious, including 49 fatal. That is 4.8 per 100 million vehicle miles, close to the 4.9 for all motorways in Great Britain. On average there were 1.9 a year for each mile of road.

Reported collisions by year

Down 12.8% from 2021 to 2025.

Police-reported collisions on the M1 by year: fatal or serious, and slight
Year SlightFatal or serious
2021 33380
2022 32970
2023 32271
2024 30064
2025 28872

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

Sections with the highest collision rates

Per 100 million vehicle miles, 2021 to 2025. Sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more collisions.

Collisions per 100 million vehicle miles by section of the M1, 2021 to 2025
Section Per 100m vehicle miles
A406 to M1 spur Barnet · 30 collisions 13.7
J6 to J6A Hertfordshire · 11 collisions 12.7
J5 to J6 Hertfordshire · 54 collisions 11.6
J8 to J9 Hertfordshire · 143 collisions 10.4
J11A to J12 Central Bedfordshire · 58 collisions 10.2
J10 to J11 Central Bedfordshire, Luton · 97 collisions 10.0
J11 to J11A Luton, Central Bedfordshire · 47 collisions 9.8
J7 to J8 Hertfordshire · 27 collisions 9.7

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

A further 132 collisions were recorded at junctions where the M1 was the second road; they are not in the figures above. Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions

Council areas on the M1

In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.

  • Barnet
  • Harrow
  • Hertfordshire
  • Central Bedfordshire
  • Luton
  • Milton Keynes
  • West Northamptonshire
  • Leicestershire
  • Derbyshire
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Nottingham
  • Rotherham
  • Sheffield
  • Barnsley
  • Wakefield
  • Leeds

Planned closures on the M1 in England

National Highways has 124 planned closures on the M1 between 16 September 2026 and 30 September 2026, 118 of them starting in that period. 59 close a carriageway rather than a lane or slip road, and 115 start between 7pm and 6am.

  • Lane or slip Lane 1,2 closure southbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 17 Sept 06:00 2 of 3 lanes Road maintenance

  • Lane or slip M6 to M1 link road lane closure southbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 24 Sept 20:00 Construction work Also affects M6

  • Carriageway M6 to M1 southbound link road closure

    16 Sept 20:00 to 19 Sept 06:00 Construction work Also affects M6

  • Lane or slip Hardshoulder and lane 1,2 closure southbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 17 Sept 06:00 2 of 3 lanes Road maintenance

  • Carriageway M62 eastbound Jct 29 betwenn exit and entry slip road carriageway closure

    16 Sept 20:00 to 30 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance Also affects A642, M62

  • Carriageway M62 eastbound Jct 30 exit slip road closure

    16 Sept 20:00 to 26 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance Also affects M62

  • Lane or slip Lane 3,4 closure northbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 17 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance

  • Lane or slip Lane 2,3 closure southbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 24 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance

116 more planned closures in this period are not shown.

Planned closures only: National Highways can cancel or change them, and closures caused by incidents are not shown. Council roads in England are not covered. Roadworks and closures across the UK

Source:National Highways 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-30 Updated

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Traffic counts and vehicle mix Road traffic statistics (AADF by count point) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2000 to 2025 97 count points in 2025 15 September 2026
Reported collisions Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2021 to 2025 1,929 reported collisions 15 September 2026
Planned closures Transport Data Feeds (DATEX II) National Highways 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-30 2,304 planned closure schemes 16 September 2026
  • Annual average daily flow (AADF) is the average number of vehicles passing a point on a typical day of the year, both directions combined.
  • Vehicle miles are AADF multiplied by link length and 365, summed over every count point link on the road.
  • Sections join count point links between junctions, using the link lines in DfT’s major road database.
  • STATS19 covers personal injury collisions reported to the police. Damage-only collisions are not included, and not every injury collision is reported.
  • Serious and slight figures are DfT’s adjusted estimates, which allow for police forces moving to injury-based reporting.
  • Counts of one or two collisions below Great Britain level are shown as “fewer than 3”.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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