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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 2017: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 420 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 2017, and 543 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 65 were serious.

Collisions were up 7% on 2016 (394), and casualties rose from 541.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 22,899 collisions in Bedford.

Collisions in 2017
420
Up 7% on 2016
Casualties in 2017
543
Level with 2016
Fatal collisions
3
0.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
65
15% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 2017

0.7% of collisions in Bedford in 2017 were fatal and 15% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal30.7%
  • Serious6515%
  • Slight35284%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal30.6%
  • Serious6712%
  • Slight47387%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 2017 is highlighted, with 420, up 7% on 2016.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2017
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025293383
2024288366
2023332430
2022328419
2021263370
2020284373
2019371484
2018348474
2017420543
2016394541
2015399539
2014443561
2013356451
2012380497
2011447580
2010408553
2009385508
2008462644
2007473613
2006408560
2005452632
2004436601
2003423602
2002494653
2001553797
2000514730
1999450630
1998576817
1997596809
1996573793
1995465668
1994511714
1993523706
1992531701
1991506681
1990601823
1989717938
1988617793
1987620884
1986646831
1985611826
1984693867
1983662881
1982669877
1981634797
1980670862
1979674872

When and where crashes happen in Bedford in 2017

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday44 (10%)
  • Tuesday58 (14%)
  • Wednesday76 (18%)
  • Thursday57 (14%)
  • Friday85 (20%)
  • Saturday42 (10%)
  • Sunday58 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:598 (1.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5942 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5958 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5965 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59132 (31%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5968 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5939 (9.3%)

Collisions by month

  • January30 (7.1%)
  • February28 (6.7%)
  • March32 (7.6%)
  • April30 (7.1%)
  • May39 (9.3%)
  • June30 (7.1%)
  • July34 (8.1%)
  • August29 (6.9%)
  • September42 (10%)
  • October48 (11%)
  • November41 (9.8%)
  • December37 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight297 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit74 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting37 (8.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown7 (1.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (1.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds362 (86%)
  • Raining, no high winds32 (7.6%)
  • Fine with high winds9 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.7%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other7 (1.7%)
  • Not recorded5 (1.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry316 (75%)
  • Wet or damp93 (22%)
  • Frost or ice10 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph14 (3.3%)
  • 30 mph294 (70%)
  • 40 mph14 (3.3%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.7%)
  • 60 mph62 (15%)
  • 70 mph33 (7.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway282 (67%)
  • Roundabout49 (12%)
  • Dual carriageway45 (11%)
  • One way street or slip road29 (6.9%)
  • Not recorded15 (3.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 2017

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant297 (55%)
  • Pedestrian91 (17%)
  • Cyclist79 (15%)
  • Motorcyclist43 (7.9%)
  • Van occupant12 (2.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (1.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant6 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (weight unknown)3 (0.6%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 512 (2.2%)
  • 6 to 1017 (3.1%)
  • 11 to 1523 (4.2%)
  • 16 to 2063 (12%)
  • 21 to 2582 (15%)
  • 26 to 35100 (18%)
  • 36 to 4589 (16%)
  • 46 to 5563 (12%)
  • 56 to 6548 (8.8%)
  • 66 to 7516 (2.9%)
  • Over 7518 (3.3%)
  • Not recorded12 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider348 (64%)
  • Passenger104 (19%)
  • Pedestrian91 (17%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car547 (73%)
  • Pedal cycle80 (11%)
  • Motorcycle42 (5.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes34 (4.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes12 (1.6%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown10 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (1.3%)
  • Bus or coach5 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.4%)
  • Mobility scooter1 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 2017

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2017 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Bedford

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Bedford ranked among 351 areas in 2017

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 96th most road collisions in 2017.

Collisions
96th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
97th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
183rd
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
117th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Bedford in 2017

Greyfriars, Bedford, MK40 1AS area was the busiest accident hotspot in Bedford in 2017, with 76 collisions, 7 of them serious.

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 2017

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 2017: 41, including 1 fatal and 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 2017
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6415018
2ndA421294713
3rdA4280273403
4thA5141192501
5thA600192804
6thA1111900
7thB53191102
8thA42881203
9thA60371100
10thA51346600
11thA51405501
12thB6605502
13thB5603402
14thB5302200
15thB6451100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 2017

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2017: 206.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 2017

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 2017: 156.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 2017

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 2017, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2017.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years