A new interactive map reveals more than 700 abandoned cars were removed by councils in the North West in 2017/18 – averaging two per day – costing councils almost £42,000.
That’s according to new Freedom of Information data which reveals more than 7,000 abandoned vehicles were reported to councils in the region in the same year.
According to the data, motorists in Blackpool are more likely to abandon their vehicle.
Blackpool Council seized 118 vehicles, following 285 reports of abandoned vehicles from the public.
Further research found one in 10 (10%) UK drivers are confused about what they should do if they spot an abandoned car.
Confused.com has created a ‘Report an abandoned car‘ tool, which enables motorists to search for their local council and directs them straight to the dedicated webpage.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “The cost of running a car is becoming incredibly expensive and it seems this has caused thousands of drivers in the North West to ditch their vehicles.
“It’s worrying that they think this is their only option.
“Our interactive map shows just how much of an issue this has become across the region, as councils have been forced to spend thousands of pounds removing unwanted cars from the roadside in one year alone.
Councils in the region removed two abandoned cars every day in 2017/18, on average – costing them almost £42,000.
The number of cars being stranded on the roadside has not gone unnoticed by the public, as 7,027 reports of abandoned vehicles were filed in the North West in 2017/18.
A quarter (25%) of drivers in the region admit to abandoning their vehicle at some point, according to further research.
However, the research also found that one in 10 (10%) UK drivers are confused about what they should do if they spot an abandoned car, and a further 9% wouldn’t know how to report one.
As the data proves, motorists across the North West are treating the roadsides as a scrapyard, and it seems this is widespread issue across England and Wales.
In fact, 12,442 abandoned cars were removed by councils in 2017/18, of which 8,886 were destroyed. This is following 148,777 reports of abandoned vehicles in the one year.
And this did not come cheap to councils, as they forked out a whopping £527,380 to remove or destroy these vehicles, and received only £55,072 in fines for offenders in comparison.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, added: “Abandoned vehicles are a nuisance, but many motorists are confused about what they should do if they find one – do they report it to the police, or their local council?”
(pic by Editor5807 under creative commons licence)
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