Compositions and methods useful in the removal of road film and dirt from vehicles are provided. The compositions can be provided in the form of a concentrate and a ready-to-use or a diluted formulation and can be used to remove a wide range of different types of traffic film. The compositions can contain at least one anionic surfactant, at least one polyoxyalkylene ammonium cationic surfactant and at least one of an alkaline agent and an acidulating agent. Additional components that can be included are a chelating agent, a nonionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a hydrotrope, and a silicate.