Abandoned and off-road vehicles are rising sharply in the UK, with almost 100,000 reports in 2024 and SORN numbers more than doubling since 2014. Most reported vehicles are never reclaimed, leaving councils to manage removal and scrapping, underlining the need for clear, compliant routes into authorised treatment and recycling.
Freedom of Information data obtained by Churchill Motor Insurance shows a sharp rise in abandoned vehicles across the UK, with almost 100,000 reports made to councils in 2024. At the same time, the number of cars declared off the road via Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has more than doubled over a decade, underscoring the scale of unused vehicles outside the formal ELV and recycling system.
Abandoned vehicle reports up by more than a third in two years
In 2024, 99,095 vehicles were reported abandoned, up from 84,299 in 2023 (an 18% increase year-on-year) and 73,738 in 2022, a 34% rise over two years.
The figures point to a clear upward trend in vehicles left to decay on public highways and urban streets, creating pressure on councils, communities, and legitimate vehicle recyclers.
If a vehicle is untaxed, uninsured, or without a valid MOT, it must be declared off the road using a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).2 These vehicles cannot be kept on public roads and must be stored on private land.
Most reported vehicles are never reclaimed
Only 1 in 5 vehicles reported as abandoned are ever retrieved by their owners (20%).3 The majority remain unclaimed, often occupying valuable parking spaces, obstructing roads and becoming a persistent eyesore for local communities.
Of the vehicles reported, councils classify around 13% as officially abandoned, a status typically applied when a vehicle is unregistered, unclaimed, or otherwise deemed fit for destruction.4 Of those officially abandoned vehicles, local authorities scrap 30%, while just 1% are sold or auctioned.
Despite the scale of the problem, direct income to councils remains modest. Across the UK in 2024, only 170 vehicles were sold or auctioned, with the highest average sale price achieved across all councils standing at £1,068. Scrap values are similarly low: one council, for example, received £3,000 for scrapping 46 vehicles.
SORN numbers highlight a growing off-road fleet
The rise in abandoned vehicles sits alongside a dramatic increase in vehicles declared off the road. The UK now has 6.68 million vehicles with a SORN – more than double the 2.85 million recorded in 2014.5
Since the introduction of Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) in 2011, every vehicle in the UK must either be taxed, insured and roadworthy, or officially declared off the road. SORN provides a legal, low-cost way for owners to keep a vehicle without using it, often while awaiting repair, seasonal use or a change in ownership.
However, the sheer volume of SORN vehicles underlines how many cars are currently parked up, unused, and potentially drifting towards abandonment if ownership, storage or repair plans fall away.
Reminder on legal responsibilities – and the role of recyclers
Nicholas Mantel, Head of Churchill Motor Insurance, said:
“The number of abandoned vehicles is rising sharply, blighting our communities, taking up valuable parking spaces, and straining council resources. It’s important to remember that vehicles without an MOT, tax, or insurance cannot be left on public highways; they must be declared SORN and kept on private property, even if they are not being driven.”
For local authorities and compliant ATFs, the trends point to ongoing demand for authorised removal, storage and depollution, as well as opportunities to recover value from vehicles that have clearly reached end of life.
For operators, maintaining strong relationships with councils and insurers, and clear, compliant routes for abandoned and off-road vehicles into treatment, will be increasingly important as the number of unused and neglected vehicles continues to rise.
Source www.directlinegroup.co.uk
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