M5 Traffic Reports
M5 Traffic Reports and Updates
For M5 traffic reports, go to our dedicated M5 website. It has separate northbound and southbound pages, so whether you are heading to the West Country or back towards Birmingham you can see just the news for your direction.
Where to Find M5 Traffic Reports Now
Go to our M5 traffic news page for every current report, or straight to the page you need:
- the latest M5 traffic news
- accidents and incidents
- roadworks
- what the overhead signs are saying
- the variable speed limits in force now
- separate northbound and southbound pages
- closures tonight
- the M5 services
Each report says where the problem is, which way it affects, and when National Highways expects it to clear, so you can decide quickly whether to change your plans.
M5 collisions in numbers
How often something happens on the M5, from the Department for Transport’s figures. This is why M5 traffic news changes so often.
about 180
reported injury collisions, 2025
on the M5, or roughly 3 a week. In 2024 there were about 160.
29%
were fatal or serious
The rest were recorded as slight. Every one of them can close a lane and hold up traffic for miles behind.
Source: Department for Transport road casualty statistics, reported injury collisions, 2024 and 2025. Rounded, as a guide rather than a precise count.
For facts about the road itself, its length, route and junctions, see about the M5 motorway.
Live example - one current item from today’s traffic news on the M5, refreshed every five minutes. It shows how our news is laid out; the full news is one click away.
Good news - no hold-ups reported on the M5 right now!
Looks like a clear run - have a safe and smooth journey.
Conditions can change, and not every hold-up is reported instantly, so do check back before you travel. Our traffic news updates automatically throughout the day.
See all the latest M5 traffic news
Updated 04:57 (4:57am) Thu 29 Oct 2026
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