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CrashStats

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 580 road traffic collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2023, and 838 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 126 were serious.

Collisions were up 10% on 2022 (528), and casualties rose from 742.

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

Collisions in 2023
580
Up 10% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
838
Up 13% on 2022
Fatal collisions
4
0.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
126
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Central Bedfordshire in 2023

0.7% of collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2023 were fatal and 22% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in Central Bedfordshire from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal40.7%
  • Serious12622%
  • Slight45078%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal40.5%
  • Serious14017%
  • Slight69483%

Central Bedfordshire road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Central Bedfordshire, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,211 in 1989. 2023 is highlighted, with 580, up 10% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday72 (12%)
  • Tuesday92 (16%)
  • Wednesday98 (17%)
  • Thursday93 (16%)
  • Friday87 (15%)
  • Saturday74 (13%)
  • Sunday64 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5918 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5915 (2.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5987 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5978 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5987 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59148 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5999 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5948 (8.3%)

Collisions by month

  • January50 (8.6%)
  • February49 (8.4%)
  • March52 (9%)
  • April33 (5.7%)
  • May48 (8.3%)
  • June54 (9.3%)
  • July51 (8.8%)
  • August43 (7.4%)
  • September44 (7.6%)
  • October56 (9.7%)
  • November56 (9.7%)
  • December44 (7.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight405 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit105 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting57 (9.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit7 (1.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown6 (1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds466 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds78 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds7 (1.2%)
  • Fog or mist6 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Other13 (2.2%)
  • Not recorded5 (0.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry362 (62%)
  • Wet or damp149 (26%)
  • Frost or ice8 (1.4%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded60 (10%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph43 (7.4%)
  • 30 mph201 (35%)
  • 40 mph66 (11%)
  • 50 mph34 (5.9%)
  • 60 mph144 (25%)
  • 70 mph92 (16%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway375 (65%)
  • Dual carriageway125 (22%)
  • Roundabout50 (8.6%)
  • One way street or slip road16 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded14 (2.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant563 (67%)
  • Pedestrian73 (8.7%)
  • Motorcyclist63 (7.5%)
  • Van occupant57 (6.8%)
  • Cyclist44 (5.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant14 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)10 (1.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (weight unknown)2 (0.2%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Other4 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 515 (1.8%)
  • 6 to 1024 (2.9%)
  • 11 to 1539 (4.7%)
  • 16 to 2066 (7.9%)
  • 21 to 2593 (11%)
  • 26 to 35185 (22%)
  • 36 to 45162 (19%)
  • 46 to 5594 (11%)
  • 56 to 6578 (9.3%)
  • 66 to 7537 (4.4%)
  • Over 7529 (3.5%)
  • Not recorded16 (1.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider580 (69%)
  • Passenger185 (22%)
  • Pedestrian73 (8.7%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car849 (75%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes93 (8.2%)
  • Motorcycle66 (5.8%)
  • Pedal cycle47 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes28 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown19 (1.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car13 (1.1%)
  • Bus or coach4 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle4 (0.4%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)4 (0.4%)
  • Other4 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded7 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Central Bedfordshire in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 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
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Central Bedfordshire ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Central Bedfordshire had the 44th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
44th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
29th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
115th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
34th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Central Bedfordshire in 2023

Dunstable East, Central Bedfordshire, LU5 4RP area was the busiest accident hotspot in Central Bedfordshire in 2023, with 33 collisions, 7 of them serious.

Roads in Central Bedfordshire with the most crashes in 2023

The M1 had the most collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 2023: 80, including 17 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Central Bedfordshire, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stM180130017
2ndA505365116
3rdA5283902
4thA5072236110
5thA6213406
6thB489142001
7thA421121902
8thA1111502
9thA5183111704
10thA512081303
11thB512081003
12thA10817900
13thA40127702
14thA550571000
15thB104271201
16thA60016601
17thB6596701
18thA6035801
19thB6535701
20thA1(M)4400

Towns in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 2023

Dunstable had the most collisions of any town in Central Bedfordshire in 2023: 51.

Postcode districts in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 2023

LU5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Central Bedfordshire in 2023: 105.

Latest crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 2023, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in other years