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CrashStats

Chelmsford road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 324 road traffic collisions in Chelmsford in 2023, and 425 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 93 were serious.

Collisions were down 5% on 2022 (340), and casualties fell from 448.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 25,575 collisions in Chelmsford.

Collisions in 2023
324
Down 5% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
425
Down 5% on 2022
Fatal collisions
2
0.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
93
29% of collisions

Crash severity in Chelmsford in 2023

0.6% of collisions in Chelmsford in 2023 were fatal and 29% serious, against 1.7% and 22% in Chelmsford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.6%
  • Serious9329%
  • Slight22971%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal30.7%
  • Serious10825%
  • Slight31474%

Chelmsford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Chelmsford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 832 in 1989. 2023 is highlighted, with 324, down 5% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 324
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025307378
2024300393
2023324425
2022340448
2021256334
2020250336
2019289381
2018335424
2017318402
2016348435
2015360463
2014351450
2013376465
2012382465
2011435565
2010438579
2009434561
2008465568
2007521673
2006578745
2005571785
2004646856
2003584779
2002555735
2001624802
2000628844
1999676913
1998648887
1997655867
1996582782
1995606843
1994668895
1993597845
1992625829
1991615850
19907161,011
19898321,171
19888251,202
19877991,082
19868031,111
19857511,004
19847411,034
1983702940
1982707948
1981669918
1980656914
1979687910

When and where crashes happen in Chelmsford in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday38 (12%)
  • Tuesday53 (16%)
  • Wednesday44 (14%)
  • Thursday52 (16%)
  • Friday56 (17%)
  • Saturday50 (15%)
  • Sunday31 (9.6%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (1.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5912 (3.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5945 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5939 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5953 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5993 (29%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5952 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5924 (7.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January35 (11%)
  • February13 (4%)
  • March33 (10%)
  • April24 (7.4%)
  • May33 (10%)
  • June24 (7.4%)
  • July26 (8%)
  • August30 (9.3%)
  • September27 (8.3%)
  • October27 (8.3%)
  • November22 (6.8%)
  • December30 (9.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight234 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit50 (15%)
  • Dark, no street lighting29 (9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (1.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (1.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds274 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds31 (9.6%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (1.2%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other4 (1.2%)
  • Not recorded7 (2.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry230 (71%)
  • Wet or damp82 (25%)
  • Frost or ice9 (2.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph15 (4.6%)
  • 30 mph146 (45%)
  • 40 mph54 (17%)
  • 50 mph11 (3.4%)
  • 60 mph67 (21%)
  • 70 mph31 (9.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway220 (68%)
  • Dual carriageway49 (15%)
  • Roundabout42 (13%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded4 (1.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Chelmsford in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant252 (59%)
  • Motorcyclist49 (12%)
  • Pedestrian46 (11%)
  • Cyclist41 (9.6%)
  • Van occupant13 (3.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (2.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (1.2%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user2 (0.5%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Horse rider1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 54 (0.9%)
  • 6 to 107 (1.6%)
  • 11 to 1520 (4.7%)
  • 16 to 2056 (13%)
  • 21 to 2537 (8.7%)
  • 26 to 3568 (16%)
  • 36 to 4555 (13%)
  • 46 to 5556 (13%)
  • 56 to 6559 (14%)
  • 66 to 7526 (6.1%)
  • Over 7530 (7.1%)
  • Not recorded7 (1.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider296 (70%)
  • Passenger83 (20%)
  • Pedestrian46 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car428 (71%)
  • Motorcycle53 (8.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes45 (7.4%)
  • Pedal cycle44 (7.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes14 (2.3%)
  • Bus or coach8 (1.3%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)6 (1%)
  • Agricultural vehicle2 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.3%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)
  • Other3 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Chelmsford in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Chelmsford

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Chelmsford ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Chelmsford had the 98th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
98th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
100th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
227th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
70th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Chelmsford in 2023

Moulsham and Central, Chelmsford, CM2 0DB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Chelmsford in 2023, with 30 collisions, 5 of them serious.

Roads in Chelmsford with the most crashes in 2023

The A130 had the most collisions in Chelmsford in 2023: 29, including 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Chelmsford, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA130293608
2ndA12213505
3rdA414193514
4thA1114182101
5thB1008162308
6thB1007152014
7thA1060111304
8thA1016101402
9thB141871802
10thA10996701
11thA12456602
12thA13261100
13thB10096700
14thA1384403
15thB11374401
16thB10123402
17thB10022201

Towns in Chelmsford: crashes in 2023

Chelmsford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2023: 142.

Postcode districts in Chelmsford: crashes in 2023

CM2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Chelmsford in 2023: 133.

Latest crashes in Chelmsford in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Chelmsford in 2023, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

Chelmsford road accidents in other years