Skip to main content
CrashStats

Colchester road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 294 road traffic collisions in Colchester in 2020, and 392 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 53 were serious.

Collisions were down 15% on 2019 (346), and casualties fell from 457.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 24,962 collisions in Colchester.

Collisions in 2020
294
Down 15% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
392
Down 14% on 2019
Fatal collisions
2
0.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
53
18% of collisions

Crash severity in Colchester in 2020

0.7% of collisions in Colchester in 2020 were fatal and 18% serious, against 1.5% and 21% in Colchester from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.7%
  • Serious5318%
  • Slight23981%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.5%
  • Serious5915%
  • Slight33184%

Colchester road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Colchester, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 770 in 1989. 2020 is highlighted, with 294, down 15% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 294
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025321403
2024322420
2023303383
2022334420
2021319410
2020294392
2019346457
2018359461
2017310393
2016402533
2015385514
2014402519
2013389512
2012390521
2011402518
2010356455
2009390483
2008422532
2007495620
2006461565
2005552687
2004603761
2003590782
2002581755
2001583766
2000633872
1999610810
1998566709
1997549697
1996533718
1995598761
1994620858
1993642834
1992669895
1991692931
1990735977
19897701,043
19887571,004
1987744978
1986766997
1985691912
1984687937
1983641887
1982642904
1981699921
1980712925
1979695923

When and where crashes happen in Colchester in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday50 (17%)
  • Tuesday45 (15%)
  • Wednesday52 (18%)
  • Thursday46 (16%)
  • Friday32 (11%)
  • Saturday41 (14%)
  • Sunday28 (9.5%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5937 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5949 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5957 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5971 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5948 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5922 (7.5%)

Collisions by month

  • January46 (16%)
  • February24 (8.2%)
  • March21 (7.1%)
  • April10 (3.4%)
  • May19 (6.5%)
  • June18 (6.1%)
  • July25 (8.5%)
  • August33 (11%)
  • September24 (8.2%)
  • October21 (7.1%)
  • November29 (9.9%)
  • December24 (8.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight211 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit50 (17%)
  • Dark, no street lighting27 (9.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (1.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds236 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds42 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (2%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.7%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other5 (1.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry198 (67%)
  • Wet or damp94 (32%)
  • Frost or ice2 (0.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph4 (1.4%)
  • 30 mph166 (56%)
  • 40 mph46 (16%)
  • 50 mph3 (1%)
  • 60 mph35 (12%)
  • 70 mph40 (14%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway209 (71%)
  • Dual carriageway52 (18%)
  • Roundabout19 (6.5%)
  • One way street or slip road14 (4.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Colchester in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant224 (57%)
  • Motorcyclist51 (13%)
  • Cyclist43 (11%)
  • Pedestrian32 (8.2%)
  • Van occupant24 (6.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant11 (2.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 54 (1%)
  • 6 to 1016 (4.1%)
  • 11 to 1524 (6.1%)
  • 16 to 2051 (13%)
  • 21 to 2545 (11%)
  • 26 to 3575 (19%)
  • 36 to 4551 (13%)
  • 46 to 5558 (15%)
  • 56 to 6531 (7.9%)
  • 66 to 7516 (4.1%)
  • Over 7519 (4.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider273 (70%)
  • Passenger87 (22%)
  • Pedestrian32 (8.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car368 (67%)
  • Motorcycle54 (9.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes50 (9.1%)
  • Pedal cycle43 (7.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes18 (3.3%)
  • Bus or coach7 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car5 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.5%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)
  • Mobility scooter1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Colchester in 2020

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

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 Colchester ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Colchester had the 91st most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
91st
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
91st
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
206th
of 350 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
123rd
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Colchester in 2020

Castle, Colchester, CO1 1JQ area was the busiest accident hotspot in Colchester in 2020, with 25 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in Colchester with the most crashes in 2020

The A12 had the most collisions in Colchester in 2020: 45, including 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Colchester, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA12456908
2ndA134272803
3rdA133163003
4thB1025132007
5thB1022121804
6thA12091312
7thA11247902
8thA12327801
9thB10235500
10thB10265802
11thB15085700
12thB10284401
13thB10272401
14thB14082200
15thA1371100

Towns in Colchester: crashes in 2020

Colchester itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2020: 155.

Postcode districts in Colchester: crashes in 2020

CO3 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Colchester in 2020: 71.

Latest crashes in Colchester in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Colchester in 2020, 1 was fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2020.

Severity

Colchester road accidents in other years