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M6 traffic and collisions

The M6 is a motorway of 246.4 miles, from Leicestershire to Cumberland. This page covers its traffic at 99 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.

Last updated
Records analysed
99 count points in 2025
Methodology
View methodology
  • Traffic in 2025 8.6bn vehicle miles
  • Average daily traffic 95,479 vehicles a day, both directions
  • Busiest section 187,521 J20 to J21
  • HGV share 14.1% of vehicle miles
  • Traffic since 2019 +9.0% same count points
  • Collisions, 2021 to 2025 1,823 4.6 per 100m vehicle miles

How busy is the M6?

On an average day in 2025, 95,479 vehicles passed each point on the M6, counting both directions. The busiest section is J20 to J21 (Warrington), with 187,521 a day; the quietest listed is J39 to J40, with 39,666.

Busiest sections, 2025

J20 to J21 carries 2.0 times the road’s average flow.

Sections of the M6 with the highest average daily flow, 2025
Section Vehicles a day
J20 to J21 Warrington · 2.5 mi · HGVs 12.5% 187,521
J8W to J9 Walsall · 1.4 mi · HGVs 17.3% 180,440
J7 to J8 Sandwell · 0.5 mi · HGVs 13.8% 174,714
J30 to J31 Lancashire · 2.1 mi · HGVs 8.3% 171,079
J9 to J10 Walsall · 1.5 mi · HGVs 16.7% 166,153
J21 to J21A Warrington · 2.4 mi · HGVs 13.2% 163,344
J6 to J7 Birmingham, Sandwell · 4.0 mi · HGVs 13.8% 162,324
At M6 spur Warrington · 0.5 mi · HGVs 11.5% 158,713
J31 to J31A Lancashire · 1.9 mi · HGVs 8.0% 158,691
J4A to J5 Solihull, Birmingham · 2.1 mi · HGVs 12.5% 153,614

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Route

Leicestershire to Cumberland · 246.4 miles

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

M6 traffic and collisions by section

62 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 23 short link roads and spurs (11.4 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.

Show all 62 sections Tap a column heading to sort
Sections of the M6 in route order, 2025 traffic
#
1M6 main route to A14/M1Leicestershire0.941,05925.9%+17.2%fewer than 3–
2M6 slips to A14/M1 to J1Leicestershire, Warwickshire2.783,22925.9%+21.0%9–
3J1 to J2Warwickshire8.699,80019.2%+14.5%594.1
4A46 / A4600 to J3Warwickshire, Coventry3.2136,17617.7%+9.3%314.1
5J3 to M6 TollWarwickshire7.5134,69715.7%+14.8%492.9
6M6 Toll to J4Warwickshire1.2103,23414.1%+6.5%9–
7J4 to Junction of main carriageway and J4 slipsWarwickshire0.587,74914.1%−2.0%8–
8Junction of main carriageway and J4 slipsWarwickshire0.413,7695.7%–3–
9J4ASolihull1.9106,86214.4%+7.8%134.1
10J4A to J5Solihull, Birmingham2.1153,61412.5%−0.2%203.6
11J5 to J6Birmingham3.2147,46912.5%−0.2%496.3
12At M6 spurBirmingham0.4166,39413.8%+3.7%10–
13J6 to J7Birmingham, Sandwell4.0162,32413.8%+1.1%877.6
14J7 to J8Sandwell0.5174,71413.8%+8.9%1510.0
15J8E to M6Sandwell, Walsall1.6103,23213.8%−13.5%196.3
16J8W to J9Walsall1.4180,44017.3%+12.9%388.6
17J9 to J10Walsall1.5166,15316.7%+13.5%5713.1
18J10 to J10AWalsall, Staffordshire3.5142,09813.5%+5.2%637.0
19J10A to J11Staffordshire2.196,13718.3%+12.6%113.1
20J11 to J11AStaffordshire1.184,57421.1%+16.8%116.8
21J11A to J12Staffordshire1.6120,92513.6%+15.0%8–
22J12 to J13Staffordshire5.3126,51413.6%+21.7%282.5
23J13 to J14Staffordshire5.3123,98214.5%+12.7%191.8
24J14 to J15Staffordshire11.2118,64814.9%+4.1%653.0
25J15 to J16Staffordshire9.4110,31615.6%+6.8%261.5
26J16 to J17East Cheshire6.1132,45714.7%+13.6%684.8
27J17 to J18East Cheshire2.2143,07214.8%+21.3%142.7
28At J18West Cheshire, East Cheshire1.4139,57720.7%+18.3%102.9
29J18 to J19East Cheshire, West Cheshire8.1139,49317.7%+20.8%713.7
30J19 to M56(9)East Cheshire4.6113,56215.8%+12.9%485.3
31M56 to J20East Cheshire, Warrington0.6125,97611.6%+33.6%118.8
32J20 to J21Warrington2.5187,52112.5%+8.3%475.9
33At M6 spurWarrington0.5158,71311.5%+17.3%1914.2
34J21 to J21AWarrington2.4163,34413.2%−1.0%344.9
35J21A to J22Warrington1.6122,66211.9%+8.6%123.9
36J22 to J23St. Helens3.1115,27612.9%+1.1%203.3
37J23 to J24St. Helens, Wigan1.397,87010.1%−12.5%187.4
38J24 to J25Wigan1.3141,7829.5%+5.1%7–
39J25 to J26Wigan2.7113,04510.7%+8.0%5–
40J26 to J27Wigan4.2113,04210.9%+6.4%7–
41J27 to J28Lancashire7.8111,34510.4%+4.0%453.3
42J28 to J29Lancashire1.9112,9609.7%+10.4%205.5
43J29 to J29ALancashire0.465,06511.3%−5.5%8–
44J29A to J30Lancashire1.486,78010.6%−0.2%167.4
45J30 to J31Lancashire2.1171,0798.3%+9.5%427.0
46J31 to J31ALancashire1.9158,6918.0%−0.5%509.7
47J31A to J32Lancashire1.8142,9128.0%+7.6%409.1
48M6 (32) North to M6 (32) SouthLancashire0.664,41310.5%+0.3%1420.9
49J32 to J33Lancashire12.877,61011.4%+3.5%754.5
50J33 to J34Lancashire5.882,79010.9%+5.2%354.4
51J34 to J35Lancashire1.266,06611.3%+15.1%5–
52J35 to J34Lancashire3.785,2738.4%+36.4%367.3
53J35 to J36Lancashire, Westmorland and Furness7.765,70411.7%+11.0%273.5
54J36 to J37Westmorland and Furness7.846,02513.4%−2.7%357.2
55J37 to J38Westmorland and Furness8.843,80214.9%+12.9%264.8
56J38 to J39Westmorland and Furness5.752,40111.6%+37.5%225.5
57J39 to J40Westmorland and Furness11.239,66616.5%+6.6%334.5
58J40 to J41Westmorland and Furness3.165,72213.4%+30.8%5–
59J41 to J42Westmorland and Furness, Cumberland13.248,56717.9%–354.8
60J42 to J43Cumberland2.751,68318.1%+18.6%114.6
61J43 to J44Cumberland3.853,81316.5%+1.5%247.0
62M6 Junc 44 to A74(M) / M6 Junc 45Cumberland5.948,77113.8%+5.3%193.5

Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the M6 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.

M6 traffic by vehicle type

Cars and taxis make up 67.5% of the vehicle miles on the M6. HGVs account for 14.1%, rising to 25.9% on M6 main route to A14/M1.

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 M6, by year
Year HGV share
2000 18.2%
2001 17.9%
2002 17.3%
2003 17.2%
2004 17.2%
2005 16.8%
2006 16.8%
2007 17.1%
2008 16.7%
2009 15.6%
2010 15.9%
2011 15.1%
2012 14.6%
2013 14.6%
2014 15.5%
2015 15.8%
2016 15.9%
2017 15.9%
2018 15.7%
2019 15.5%
2020 20.5%
2021 18.9%
2022 16.2%
2023 15.6%
2024 15.2%
2025 14.1%

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

M6 traffic trend

Traffic on the M6 came to 8.59 billion vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 9.0% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 9.8% on 2015.

Vehicle miles a year

Like for like, traffic is up 26.3% on 2000.

Vehicle miles on the M6 each year, the whole road as it was that year
Year Vehicle miles
2000 6.5bn
2001 6.6bn
2002 6.6bn
2003 6.6bn
2004 6.9bn
2005 7.0bn
2006 7.2bn
2007 7.2bn
2008 7.2bn
2009 7.3bn
2010 7.3bn
2011 7.4bn
2012 7.4bn
2013 7.4bn
2014 7.6bn
2015 7.7bn
2016 7.7bn
2017 7.9bn
2018 7.8bn
2019 7.9bn
2020 5.9bn
2021 6.9bn
2022 7.8bn
2023 7.9bn
2024 8.1bn
2025 8.6bn

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Average daily flow

Average daily flow along the M6, weighted by link length, by year
Year Vehicles a day
2000 75,922
2001 76,672
2002 76,674
2003 77,171
2004 79,873
2005 81,883
2006 83,702
2007 83,977
2008 84,444
2009 83,510
2010 83,306
2011 84,141
2012 84,160
2013 84,488
2014 86,513
2015 87,551
2016 87,093
2017 87,831
2018 86,622
2019 88,155
2020 65,968
2021 77,346
2022 87,161
2023 88,345
2024 89,547
2025 95,479

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, 61 of the 99 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.

M6 collisions

Police recorded 1,823 collisions with the M6 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 415 of them fatal or serious, including 56 fatal. That is 4.6 per 100 million vehicle miles, close to the 4.9 for all motorways in Great Britain. On average there were 1.5 a year for each mile of road.

Reported collisions by year

Up 15.9% from 2021 to 2025.

Police-reported collisions on the M6 by year: fatal or serious, and slight
Year SlightFatal or serious
2021 27671
2022 28383
2023 24487
2024 28889
2025 31686

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 M6, 2021 to 2025
Section Per 100m vehicle miles
M6 (32) North to M6 (32) South Lancashire · 14 collisions 20.9
At M6 spur Warrington · 19 collisions 14.2
J9 to J10 Walsall · 57 collisions 13.1
J7 to J8 Sandwell · 15 collisions 10.0
J31 to J31A Lancashire · 50 collisions 9.7
J31A to J32 Lancashire · 40 collisions 9.1
M56 to J20 East Cheshire, Warrington · 11 collisions 8.8
J8W to J9 Walsall · 38 collisions 8.6

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

A further 127 collisions were recorded at junctions where the M6 was the second road; they are not in the figures above. STATS19 records collisions on the M6 Toll under the M6’s number, so the collision figures here include any on the M6 Toll. Rates use M6 traffic only. Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions

Council areas on the M6

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

  • Leicestershire
  • Warwickshire
  • Coventry
  • Solihull
  • Birmingham
  • Sandwell
  • Walsall
  • Staffordshire
  • East Cheshire
  • West Cheshire
  • Warrington
  • St. Helens
  • Wigan
  • Lancashire
  • Westmorland and Furness
  • Cumberland

Planned closures on the M6 in England

National Highways has 201 planned closures on the M6 between 16 September 2026 and 30 September 2026, 177 of them starting in that period. 79 close a carriageway rather than a lane or slip road, and 167 start between 7pm and 6am.

  • Lane or slip M6 Northbound Jct 37 to 38 Lane 1 closure (Mp 428/8 - 430/7)

    16 Sept 19:00 to 17 Sept 05:00 1 of 3 lanes Construction work

  • Lane or slip M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 walk out to lane 3/2 closure with a switch (459/4B to 455/8B)

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

  • Lane or slip M6 Southbound Jct 44 Lane 3/2 closure becoming hardshoulder running (Mp 507/8 - 494/8)

    16 Sept 20:00 to 23 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance Also affects A74(M)

  • Lane or slip M6 Southbound Jct 44 Lane 3/2 closure becoming hardshoulder running (Mp 507/8 - 494/8)

    16 Sept 20:00 to 26 Sept 06:00 1 of 2 lanes Road maintenance Also affects A74(M)

  • Lane or slip M6 Southbound Scotland Border to Jct 44 Lane 1 and 2 closure (Mp 503/7 - 498/7)

    16 Sept 20:00 to 26 Sept 06:00 Road maintenance

  • Lane or slip M6 Southbound Junction 33 to 31A Lane 3 closure (357/7B to 354/7B)

    16 Sept 20:00 to 29 Sept 06:00 1 of 3 lanes Road maintenance Also affects M55

  • Lane or slip M6 Northbound Jct 35 to 36 Lane 1 closure (Mp 396/6 - 402/1)

    16 Sept 20:00 to 30 Sept 06:00 1 of 3 lanes Construction work

  • Lane or slip Lane 1 closure southbound

    16 Sept 20:00 to 17 Sept 06:00 1 of 3 lanes Road maintenance

193 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 99 count points in 2025 15 September 2026
Reported collisions Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2021 to 2025 1,823 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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