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M42 traffic at 02:50 on Monday 12 October: road closed southbound until 04:00.
Tap a pin for full incident detail. Live positions from National Highways.
🟢 Clear · 🟡 Delays nearby · 🔴 Severe/Crash · Status labels: 💥 CRASH · ❌ CLOSED · 🐌 SLOW · 🚧 WORKS · ⚠️ HAZARD
A red or orange junction border marks a STATS19 collision blackspot. Tap any junction for its own page — live incidents and full collision history. Tap the funnel to filter the list above.
The M42 carries up to 136,724 vehicles a day at its busiest stretch (J4–J5), including 14,082 HGVs — the 12th busiest motorway in Britain. Official Department for Transport counts, 2025.
| Road | Busiest stretch | Vehicles/day | HGVs/day | HGV share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M25 | near J14 | 212,636 | 14,853 | 7% |
| M6 | J20–J21 | 187,521 | 23,492 | 12.5% |
| M56 | J3–J4 | 179,634 | 7,547 | 4.2% |
| M1 | near J9 | 162,446 | 19,151 | 11.8% |
| M8 | J16–J17 | 158,065 | 7,214 | 4.6% |
| M4 | near J4 | 156,491 | 6,249 | 4% |
| M42 ◀ | J4–J5 | 136,724 | 14,082 | 10.3% |
Measured from 65 incidents recorded on the M42 since February 2026: the riskiest window is 13:00–16:00, when 37% of incidents start. Right now (02:00) you're outside the peak window.
| Hour | Incidents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00–01:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 01:00–02:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 02:00–03:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 03:00–04:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 04:00–05:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 05:00–06:00 | 3 | 4.6% |
| 06:00–07:00 | 2 | 3.1% |
| 07:00–08:00 | 3 | 4.6% |
| 08:00–09:00 | 2 | 3.1% |
| 09:00–10:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 10:00–11:00 | 2 | 3.1% |
| 11:00–12:00 | 3 | 4.6% |
| 12:00–13:00 | 8 | 12.3% |
| 13:00–14:00 ◀ peak | 7 | 10.8% |
| 14:00–15:00 ◀ peak | 7 | 10.8% |
| 15:00–16:00 ◀ peak | 10 | 15.4% |
| 16:00–17:00 | 4 | 6.2% |
| 17:00–18:00 | 3 | 4.6% |
| 18:00–19:00 | 0 | 0% |
| 19:00–20:00 | 0 | 0% |
| 20:00–21:00 | 3 | 4.6% |
| 21:00–22:00 | 0 | 0% |
| 22:00–23:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
| 23:00–00:00 | 1 | 1.5% |
Based on DfT STATS19 police collision records. The M42 has 303 recorded collisions at 12 collision hotspots, involving 490 casualties (5 fatal). Take extra care here.
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Q: Is the M42 closed today?
Yes — the M42 is closed right now: M42 southbound Jct 6 between the exit and entry slip roads carriageway closure, until 04:00.
Q: Is there traffic on the M42 today?
The M42 is closed right now: M42 southbound Jct 6 between the exit and entry slip roads carriageway closure, until 04:00. Check the live feed above for every closure on the route.
Q: What is the worst time to use the M42?
The M42 is typically busiest during morning rush hour (07:00–09:30) and evening rush hour (16:30–19:30) on weekdays.
Q: Are there roadworks on the M42 right now?
There are currently 2 active roadwork schemes on the M42. Check the live feed above for exact locations and durations.
Q: What roads connect to the M42?
The M42 connects to: M5, M40, M6, M6 Toll.
Q: How many vehicles use the M42 every day?
Official Department for Transport counts (2025) record 136,724 vehicles a day on the M42's busiest stretch (J4–J5), 14,082 of them HGVs. The full breakdown and comparison chart are in the traffic statistics section above.
Q: How busy is the M42 compared with other motorways?
The M42 has the 12th busiest motorway stretch in Britain at 136,724 vehicles a day (DfT 2025), behind the M25's 212,636 a day at the top.
Q: What time of day is the M42 worst for incidents?
Measured from 65 incidents recorded on the M42 since February 2026, the riskiest window is 13:00–16:00, when 37% of incidents start. The quietest is 21:00–00:00. Incidents on the M42 typically clear in about 39 minutes.
Q: What junction is Birmingham Airport on the M42?
Birmingham Airport is reached from M42 junction 6 via the A45, with the NEC and Birmingham International station on the same junction.
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