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CrashStats

City of Edinburgh road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 436 road traffic collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 2020, and 506 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 130 were serious.

Collisions were down 40% on 2019 (728), and casualties fell from 877.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 74,538 collisions in the City of Edinburgh.

Collisions in 2020
436
Down 40% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
506
Down 42% on 2019
Fatal collisions
6
1.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
130
30% of collisions

Crash severity in the City of Edinburgh in 2020

1.4% of collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 2020 were fatal and 30% serious, against 1.1% and 20% in the City of Edinburgh from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal61.4%
  • Serious13030%
  • Slight30069%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal61.2%
  • Serious13426%
  • Slight36672%

City of Edinburgh road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the City of Edinburgh, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,575 in 1980. 2020 is highlighted, with 436, down 40% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 436
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025469593
2024481610
2023450552
2022507615
2021482576
2020436506
2019728877
2018768940
20179071,083
20161,1431,348
20151,1111,323
20141,2591,471
20131,1591,369
20121,1631,372
20111,1811,372
20101,1791,394
20091,1931,403
20081,2991,548
20071,3321,591
20061,4441,735
20051,4041,708
20041,5441,789
20031,4611,741
20021,6601,982
20011,7742,137
20001,8912,366
19991,9382,373
19982,0592,446
19971,9872,408
19962,0142,454
19951,8552,209
19942,0772,496
19931,9652,332
19922,0932,538
19912,1112,555
19902,2642,749
19892,3062,766
19882,1372,567
19872,0432,498
19862,1442,601
19852,3522,892
19842,3902,896
19832,3822,861
19822,3962,979
19812,5113,113
19802,5753,175
19792,5143,256

When and where crashes happen in the City of Edinburgh in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday61 (14%)
  • Tuesday56 (13%)
  • Wednesday67 (15%)
  • Thursday74 (17%)
  • Friday86 (20%)
  • Saturday53 (12%)
  • Sunday39 (8.9%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5911 (2.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (0.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5949 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5959 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59103 (24%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59117 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5968 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5926 (6%)

Collisions by month

  • January52 (12%)
  • February48 (11%)
  • March29 (6.7%)
  • April12 (2.8%)
  • May19 (4.4%)
  • June35 (8%)
  • July44 (10%)
  • August40 (9.2%)
  • September41 (9.4%)
  • October44 (10%)
  • November38 (8.7%)
  • December34 (7.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight321 (74%)
  • Dark, street lights lit102 (23%)
  • Dark, no street lighting10 (2.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds340 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds42 (9.6%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (3.2%)
  • Fine with high winds11 (2.5%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other6 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded19 (4.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry304 (70%)
  • Wet or damp129 (30%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)
  • Frost or ice1 (0.2%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph217 (50%)
  • 30 mph149 (34%)
  • 40 mph35 (8%)
  • 50 mph10 (2.3%)
  • 60 mph4 (0.9%)
  • 70 mph21 (4.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway344 (79%)
  • Dual carriageway60 (14%)
  • Roundabout17 (3.9%)
  • One way street or slip road10 (2.3%)
  • Not recorded5 (1.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant168 (33%)
  • Cyclist140 (28%)
  • Pedestrian107 (21%)
  • Motorcyclist38 (7.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant23 (4.5%)
  • Van occupant13 (2.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 108 (1.6%)
  • 11 to 1520 (4%)
  • 16 to 2046 (9.1%)
  • 21 to 2562 (12%)
  • 26 to 35115 (23%)
  • 36 to 4567 (13%)
  • 46 to 5570 (14%)
  • 56 to 6559 (12%)
  • 66 to 7520 (4%)
  • Over 7526 (5.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider305 (60%)
  • Pedestrian107 (21%)
  • Passenger94 (19%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car445 (59%)
  • Pedal cycle145 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes49 (6.5%)
  • Motorcycle41 (5.4%)
  • Bus or coach35 (4.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car25 (3.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes11 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.8%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the City of Edinburgh in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in the City of Edinburgh

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How the City of Edinburgh ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the City of Edinburgh had the 57th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
57th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
62nd
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
63rd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
15th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in the City of Edinburgh in 2020

City Centre, City of Edinburgh, EH2 2HG area was the busiest accident hotspot in the City of Edinburgh in 2020, with 29 collisions, 9 of them serious.

Roads in the City of Edinburgh with the most crashes in 2020

The A8 had the most collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 2020: 26, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the City of Edinburgh, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA8263109
2ndA720182504
3rdA1161913
4thA71151605
5thA700131305
6thA902131502
7thA702121514
8thA90121511
9thA6095101203
10thB701101401
11thA77705
12thA1996711
13thA705501
14thA7725511
15thA9005501
16thA9015602
17thA61064502
18thM84500
19thB13503301
20thB64153301

Towns in the City of Edinburgh: crashes in 2020

Edinburgh had the most collisions of any town in the City of Edinburgh in 2020: 360.

Postcode districts in the City of Edinburgh: crashes in 2020

EH4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the City of Edinburgh in 2020: 46.

Latest crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 2020, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 29 December 2020.

Severity

City of Edinburgh road accidents in other years