Driver fined and banned for reversing on M11

Ervis Hatellari, 38, of Woodford Green, has been fined £660 and disqualified from driving for a year after being found reversing his Nissan Qashqai on the M11 in Essex. The incident occurred around 10pm on New Year’s Eve 2025. Hatellari was ordered to pay £120 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge.

Court proceedings and additional offences

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The hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on July 27 also revealed that Hatellari’s driving licence had previously been revoked and that the vehicle was being driven without insurance. The Press Association reported that 31 motorists faced charges for wrong-way driving offences across England and Wales during a 30-week period.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, commented on the dangers of such incidents, stating that the thought of someone driving the wrong way onto a motorway into fast-moving traffic is "truly the stuff of nightmares". Court records indicate that other drivers have been prosecuted for reversing on carriageways, executing U-turns, and driving backwards in attempts to reach missed exits.

Wider context of motorway incidents

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In a separate case, Daniel Udrescu, a 57-year-old van driver, was prosecuted for reversing up a slip road onto the M6 toll motorway in Staffordshire, stating he was attempting to reach Glasgow. He was fined £445, received three penalty points, and ordered to pay £120 in costs and a £178 victim surcharge. Another incident involved Innocent Ayodele, 32, from Manchester, who drove the wrong way up an M61 entry slip road to avoid a traffic jam. He told Preston Magistrates’ Court he was trying to get home to his pregnant wife and could face a driving ban due to having nine penalty points already on his licence.

National Highways reported 947 incidents involving "oncoming vehicles" on England’s motorways in the 12 months to May 11, though they cautioned these figures include unconfirmed reports. A spokesperson for National Highways stated that confirmed incidents of wrong-way driving remain rare and that every report is treated seriously and acted upon quickly.