Top Stories

UK’s worst streets for driving and parking fines revealed | UK | News

Over £42 million from Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) has been racked up over the past year from the UK’s worst-hit streets for parking and driving fines. New data obtained by Confused.com via a Freedom of Information Request to UK councils found that some single streets are responsible for more than 50% of all penalties issued in the local council they’re located in. 

The request asked councils which single street in their authority area handed out the most fines during the last financial year (2024-2025). PCNs can be issued for rule breaches, including parking offences, straying into bus lanes, or blocking a yellow box junction. The data reveals that local authorities collected over half a billion pounds (£530M) in PCN fines over the 12 month period, with a whopping £42,194,821 was collected for offences committed on the worst offending streets.

Corporation Street at Aston Road in Birmingham was revealed to have recorded the highest number of driving fines the country, with 62,725 PCNs distributed from offences on the road, mostly from clean air offences, in financial year 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Station Parade in Barking and Dagenham Borough Council was shown to be the street that generated the highest income, raking in £2,030,242 in fines during the period.

The street also issued 33,440 tickets, (14% of all PCNs distributed by the council). Heaton Lane in Stockport generated well over half 57% of all PCNs distributed by the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.

Among the top 10 streets where drivers received the most PCNs, six of them piled up over £1million each in fines last year.

It comes as a new survey of 2,000 UK drivers carried out on behalf on Confused.com found that more than half (57%) of drivers have received a PCN and almost one in eight (12%) have received a PCN on the same street more than once. 

Nearly half (48%) were penalised due to parking offences. These include parking on a yellow line, failing to pay for parking, or parking in a restricted area.

These fines are most often picked up in busy areas, with almost half (47%) of drivers picking up their fine in a city centre, and another two in five (38%) fined on a residential street.

*** Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

However, drivers don’t always accept their fines without question, with more than two in five (42%) saying they appealed their PCN, despite one in four (25%) finding their local council’s appeal process difficult.

The most common reasons for drivers appealed their fines were feeling that the ticket was unfair (20%) or believing the signage was unclear or confusing (15%).

The research was carried out by OnePoll, with 2,000 UK drivers surveyed. It was conducted between January 30 and February 4, 2026.

Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com car insurance, comments: “Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are a common concern for many drivers, particularly in busy towns and cities. While fines are meant to keep roads safe, our research shows a growing number of motorists feel the system isn’t always clear or fair.

“Confusing signage, changing road rules and limited parking all increase the chances of drivers being fined, particularly in busy areas. When restrictions aren’t easy to understand, it becomes harder for drivers to make confident decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

“If you receive a PCN, it’s worth taking the time to check whether it’s been issued correctly, as some fines can be challenged, particularly where signage or road markings are unclear.


Source link