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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 332 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 2023, and 430 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 67 were serious.

Collisions were up 1% on 2022 (328), and casualties rose from 419.

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

Collisions in 2023
332
Up 1% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
430
Up 3% on 2022
Fatal collisions
3
0.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
67
20% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 2023

0.9% of collisions in Bedford in 2023 were fatal and 20% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal30.9%
  • Serious6720%
  • Slight26279%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal30.7%
  • Serious7117%
  • Slight35683%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 2023 is highlighted, with 332, up 1% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 332
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday54 (16%)
  • Tuesday59 (18%)
  • Wednesday53 (16%)
  • Thursday45 (14%)
  • Friday55 (17%)
  • Saturday37 (11%)
  • Sunday29 (8.7%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5911 (3.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5946 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5942 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5963 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5991 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5943 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5930 (9%)

Collisions by month

  • January37 (11%)
  • February20 (6%)
  • March20 (6%)
  • April28 (8.4%)
  • May31 (9.3%)
  • June35 (11%)
  • July19 (5.7%)
  • August31 (9.3%)
  • September28 (8.4%)
  • October28 (8.4%)
  • November28 (8.4%)
  • December27 (8.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight244 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit69 (21%)
  • Dark, no street lighting10 (3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown9 (2.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds275 (83%)
  • Raining, no high winds42 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other8 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry225 (68%)
  • Wet or damp74 (22%)
  • Frost or ice2 (0.6%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded30 (9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph35 (11%)
  • 30 mph193 (58%)
  • 40 mph41 (12%)
  • 50 mph5 (1.5%)
  • 60 mph42 (13%)
  • 70 mph16 (4.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway253 (76%)
  • Dual carriageway33 (9.9%)
  • Roundabout30 (9%)
  • One way street or slip road10 (3%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant244 (57%)
  • Pedestrian61 (14%)
  • Cyclist49 (11%)
  • Motorcyclist39 (9.1%)
  • Van occupant12 (2.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.7%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user1 (0.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.2%)
  • Other2 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded8 (1.9%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 53 (0.7%)
  • 6 to 107 (1.6%)
  • 11 to 1513 (3%)
  • 16 to 2058 (13%)
  • 21 to 2543 (10%)
  • 26 to 3589 (21%)
  • 36 to 4571 (17%)
  • 46 to 5563 (15%)
  • 56 to 6541 (9.5%)
  • 66 to 7514 (3.3%)
  • Over 7518 (4.2%)
  • Not recorded10 (2.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider293 (68%)
  • Passenger76 (18%)
  • Pedestrian61 (14%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car413 (68%)
  • Pedal cycle50 (8.3%)
  • Motorcycle45 (7.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes39 (6.4%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)11 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown9 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes8 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (1.2%)
  • Other vehicle6 (1%)
  • Bus or coach4 (0.7%)
  • Other4 (0.7%)
  • Not recorded9 (1.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 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 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 95th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
95th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
98th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
174th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
115th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Bedford in 2023

Greyfriars, Bedford, MK40 1AS area was the busiest accident hotspot in Bedford in 2023, with 50 collisions, 9 of them serious.

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 2023

The A600 had the most collisions in Bedford in 2023: 27, including 1 fatal and 10 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6002734110
2ndA6232903
3rdA4280202502
4thA5141192604
5thA421172102
6thA1112300
7thB5318901
8thA51407802
9thA6036701
10thB66061001
11thB5605501
12thA4283700
13thB5302301
14thA4221201
15thA51341100
16thB6451100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 2023

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2023: 168.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 2023

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 2023: 115.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 2023, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 27 December 2023.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years