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CrashStats

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 471 road traffic collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2021, and 695 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 12 were fatal and 100 were serious.

Collisions were up 8% on 2020 (437), and casualties rose from 642.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 39,453 collisions in Central Bedfordshire.

Collisions in 2021
471
Up 8% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
695
Up 8% on 2020
Fatal collisions
12
2.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
100
21% of collisions

Crash severity in Central Bedfordshire in 2021

2.5% of collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2021 were fatal and 21% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in Central Bedfordshire from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal122.5%
  • Serious10021%
  • Slight35976%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal162.3%
  • Serious11617%
  • Slight56381%

Central Bedfordshire road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Central Bedfordshire, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,211 in 1989. 2021 is highlighted, with 471, up 8% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025475688
2024510738
2023580838
2022528742
2021471695
2020437642
2019583884
2018649953
20177231,033
2016621894
2015609904
2014672964
2013565831
2012636865
2011624919
2010686991
20097071,030
20087021,020
20077731,121
20067821,090
20057711,101
20047791,155
20037601,145
20028051,170
20018911,321
20009881,470
19999721,435
19989711,436
19979711,401
19969591,367
19958991,370
19949061,307
19939151,339
19921,0121,493
19919731,441
19901,1661,696
19891,2111,769
19881,1171,667
19871,1761,680
19861,1571,677
19851,1361,561
19841,1291,629
19831,0221,426
19821,0861,516
19811,0311,488
19801,1661,659
19791,1511,656

When and where crashes happen in Central Bedfordshire in 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday68 (14%)
  • Tuesday70 (15%)
  • Wednesday69 (15%)
  • Thursday61 (13%)
  • Friday60 (13%)
  • Saturday62 (13%)
  • Sunday81 (17%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5922 (4.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5919 (4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5960 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5964 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5994 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59110 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5966 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5936 (7.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January29 (6.2%)
  • February28 (5.9%)
  • March34 (7.2%)
  • April39 (8.3%)
  • May45 (9.6%)
  • June49 (10%)
  • July51 (11%)
  • August34 (7.2%)
  • September48 (10%)
  • October39 (8.3%)
  • November41 (8.7%)
  • December34 (7.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight351 (75%)
  • Dark, street lights lit62 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting47 (10%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown8 (1.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds382 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds50 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.1%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Other23 (4.9%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry348 (74%)
  • Wet or damp104 (22%)
  • Frost or ice8 (1.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded9 (1.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph31 (6.6%)
  • 30 mph179 (38%)
  • 40 mph37 (7.9%)
  • 50 mph19 (4%)
  • 60 mph130 (28%)
  • 70 mph75 (16%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway315 (67%)
  • Dual carriageway95 (20%)
  • Roundabout41 (8.7%)
  • One way street or slip road12 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded8 (1.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant478 (69%)
  • Motorcyclist54 (7.8%)
  • Pedestrian50 (7.2%)
  • Cyclist47 (6.8%)
  • Van occupant34 (4.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)12 (1.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant5 (0.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant3 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.4%)
  • Horse rider2 (0.3%)
  • Other3 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 57 (1%)
  • 6 to 1017 (2.4%)
  • 11 to 1540 (5.8%)
  • 16 to 2076 (11%)
  • 21 to 2578 (11%)
  • 26 to 35139 (20%)
  • 36 to 45100 (14%)
  • 46 to 5588 (13%)
  • 56 to 6569 (9.9%)
  • 66 to 7534 (4.9%)
  • Over 7524 (3.5%)
  • Not recorded23 (3.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider480 (69%)
  • Passenger165 (24%)
  • Pedestrian50 (7.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car676 (75%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes66 (7.3%)
  • Motorcycle56 (6.2%)
  • Pedal cycle47 (5.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes28 (3.1%)
  • Other vehicle12 (1.3%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown9 (1%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)5 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach3 (0.3%)
  • Ridden horse2 (0.2%)
  • Other3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Central Bedfordshire in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Central Bedfordshire

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 Central Bedfordshire ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Central Bedfordshire had the 58th most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
58th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
46th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
17th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
45th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Central Bedfordshire in 2021

Dunstable East, Central Bedfordshire, LU5 4RP area was the busiest accident hotspot in Central Bedfordshire in 2021, with 22 collisions, 4 of them serious.

Roads in Central Bedfordshire with the most crashes in 2021

The M1 had the most collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2021: 46, including 2 fatal and 3 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Central Bedfordshire, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stM1469023
2ndA5253324
3rdA6224004
4thA1182214
5thA505182004
6thA507172717
7thA421142702
8thA4012121803
9thB512081702
10thA512071402
11thA518371100
12thA55056701
13thB4896600
14thA60015700
15thB10425611
16thB4405601
17thB6535601
18thB6595702
19thA6004411
20thB10404401

Towns in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 2021

Dunstable had the most collisions of any town in Central Bedfordshire in 2021: 40.

Postcode districts in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 2021

LU5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Central Bedfordshire in 2021: 86.

Latest crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2021, 2 were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2021.

Severity

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in other years