Millions Of Motorists Have Seen Ghosts, UFOs & Even Bigfoot While On UK Roads

February 15, 2025

Millions of motorists have seen ghosts, UFOs, big cats and even Bigfoot while on the road in the UK, according to a major new study.

The data comes from a new poll of UK driving licence holders from vehicle lease firm Select Car Leasing.

Overall, 9% of the more than 1,000 survey respondents said they'd seen a 'ghost' while traversing Britain's haunted highways and byways. That's the equivalent of 3.79 million motorists, with around 42 million driving licence holders in the UK.

A startling 8% said they'd sighted a UFO (Unidentified flying object) from the window of their vehicle.

A further 8% also reported glimpsing one of the UK's infamous out-of-place big cats - such as the black jaguar-like 'Beast of Bodmin' - while on the road.

And while Bigfoot reports are unusual in the UK, they're clearly not beyond the realms of possibility, with 3% of respondents to the Select Car Leasing survey suspecting they'd seen one - the equivalent of around 1.26 million motorists.

Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, said: "The results of our new supernatural survey are startling to say the least, with a significant chunk of the British public suspecting they've seen something out of the ordinary while driving in the UK.

"Yet the data is perhaps not surprising.

"Britain is, after all, known as the 'Haunted Isle' with reports of the supernatural stemming from Land's End to John O'Groats. We also spend many hours in our cars and vans each week, giving us ample opportunity to spot something unusual - such as UFOs or mysterious big cats - through our window as we traverse the landscape. Keep your eyes peeled while you're out and about, folks..."

Ghosts: 9% of people said 'I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK'

Motorists from Northern Ireland were most likely to have spotted a road ghost, with a whopping 22% of respondents believing they'd seen a spectre.

The most haunted road in Northern Ireland is thought to be the Upper Malone Road, to the south of Belfast in the Lagan Valley, where the spirit of a woman clutching her baby has been scaring motorists for years.

Londoners were the most likely to say they'd witnessed a road-going spectre in England, with 18% of respondents from the capital adamant they'd seen a spirit.

I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK - 9%

London 18%
East Midlands 6%
East of England 11%
North East 0%
North West 8%
Northern Ireland 22%
Scotland 7%
South East 7%
South West 6%
Wales 5%
West Midlands 8%
Yorkshire & The Humber 2%

UFOs: 8% said 'I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK'

UFOs - sometimes now known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) have been dominating headlines in recent months thanks to a rash of sightings in America and a Pentagon report into the phenomena.

Here in the UK, mystery 'drones' were spotted over three airbases in Britain at the end of 2024, sparking an investigation by the United States Air Force (USAF).

The Select Car Leasing survey saw 8% of respondents saying they'd seen a UFO while on the road, with 16% of Londoners admitting so.

I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK - 8%

London 16%
East Midlands 8%
East of England 3%
North East 0%
North West 7%
Northern Ireland 19%
Scotland 7%
South East 4%
South West 6%
Wales 5%
West Midlands 11%
Yorkshire & The Humber 8%

Big Cats: 8% said 'I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK'

For decades, Brits have reported seeing one particular type of wild animal that shouldn't be here - a large, often black, leopard-like feline.

Cornwall's so-called 'Beast of Bodmin' is one example, while Dartmoor and Exmoor also have their own 'beasts'.

Some suspect the creatures were once exotic pets now thriving in the wild, with owners having dumped them following the introduction of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which ushered-in stricter new rules on keeping the cats.

In May 2024, the DNA of a big cat in the Panthera genus - presumed to be a leopard - was identified on a sheep carcass in the Lake District, with the analysis revealed by a laboratory at the University of Warwick and seen by some as conclusive 'proof' that big cats exist in the UK.

The Select Car Leasing study found 12% of respondents from Yorkshire and the Humber (behind Londoners, 15%, in 1st place) had seen a 'big cat' while on the road.

In November 2024, walkers on moors near Askrigg, North Yorks, filmed a big black cat prowling farmland and with a sheep found 'ripped to shreds' nearby.

I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK - 8%

London 15%
East Midlands 7%
East of England 6%
North East 7%
North West 7%
Northern Ireland 0%
Scotland 5%
South East 6%
South West 4%
Wales 7%
West Midlands 9%
Yorkshire & The Humber 12%

Bigfoot: 3% said 'I have seen a Bigfoot'-type creature while on the road in the UK'

While 'Bigfoot' or 'Sasquatch' type creatures are often associated with the vast wilderness areas of North America, they're also said to lurk here in Blighty.

In March 2024, members of the Rock Solid Coasteering group spotted and photographed a huge footprint on the Maidencombe coastal path in Torquay, Devon, with reports of a 'Littlefoot' type beast having been reported for decades in nearby woodland.

A group of fisherman on the South Downs (Hampshire/East Sussex) reported being stalked by a 'growling' creature in 2024, an event which left them terrified.

I have seen a ‘Bigfoot’-type creature while on the road in the UK- 3%

London 7%
East Midlands 4%
East of England 0%
North East 0%
North West 2%
Northern Ireland 4%
Scotland 0%
South East 1%
South West 3%
Wales 2%
West Midlands 2%
Yorkshire & The Humber 0%

*The Select Car Leasing survey was conducted by independent polling company Obsurvant and polled 1,006 respondents.

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Millions Of Motorists Have Seen Ghosts, UFOs & Even Bigfoot While On UK Roads

Ghosts: 9% of people said 'I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK - 9%

UFOs: 8% said 'I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK - 8%

Big Cats: 8% said 'I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK'

I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK - 8%

Bigfoot: 3% said 'I have seen a Bigfoot'-type creature while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a ‘Bigfoot’-type creature while on the road in the UK- 3%

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Ghosts: 9% of people said 'I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a ghost while on the road in the UK - 9%

UFOs: 8% said 'I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a UFO while on the road in the UK - 8%

Big Cats: 8% said 'I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK'

I have seen an out-of-place big cat while on the road in the UK - 8%

Bigfoot: 3% said 'I have seen a Bigfoot'-type creature while on the road in the UK'

I have seen a ‘Bigfoot’-type creature while on the road in the UK- 3%

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