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CrashStats

Colchester road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 319 road traffic collisions in Colchester in 2021, and 410 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 65 were serious.

Collisions were up 9% on 2020 (294), and casualties rose from 392.

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

Collisions in 2021
319
Up 9% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
410
Up 5% on 2020
Fatal collisions
4
1.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
65
20% of collisions

Crash severity in Colchester in 2021

1.3% of collisions in Colchester in 2021 were fatal and 20% serious, against 1.5% and 21% in Colchester from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal41.3%
  • Serious6520%
  • Slight25078%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal51.2%
  • Serious6716%
  • Slight33882%

Colchester road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Colchester, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 770 in 1989. 2021 is highlighted, with 319, up 9% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 319
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday41 (13%)
  • Tuesday51 (16%)
  • Wednesday53 (17%)
  • Thursday48 (15%)
  • Friday54 (17%)
  • Saturday40 (13%)
  • Sunday32 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5910 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:595 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5952 (16%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5939 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5966 (21%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5969 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5957 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5921 (6.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January17 (5.3%)
  • February13 (4.1%)
  • March20 (6.3%)
  • April19 (6%)
  • May32 (10%)
  • June24 (7.5%)
  • July33 (10%)
  • August35 (11%)
  • September33 (10%)
  • October26 (8.2%)
  • November44 (14%)
  • December23 (7.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight237 (74%)
  • Dark, street lights lit63 (20%)
  • Dark, no street lighting17 (5.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds274 (86%)
  • Raining, no high winds22 (6.9%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Other10 (3.1%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry252 (79%)
  • Wet or damp58 (18%)
  • Frost or ice5 (1.6%)
  • Snow3 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph14 (4.4%)
  • 30 mph206 (65%)
  • 40 mph42 (13%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.6%)
  • 60 mph24 (7.5%)
  • 70 mph31 (9.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway215 (67%)
  • Dual carriageway54 (17%)
  • Roundabout36 (11%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (3.4%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Colchester in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant248 (60%)
  • Pedestrian53 (13%)
  • Motorcyclist45 (11%)
  • Cyclist44 (11%)
  • Van occupant10 (2.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 57 (1.7%)
  • 6 to 107 (1.7%)
  • 11 to 1519 (4.6%)
  • 16 to 2068 (17%)
  • 21 to 2540 (9.8%)
  • 26 to 3589 (22%)
  • 36 to 4558 (14%)
  • 46 to 5558 (14%)
  • 56 to 6531 (7.6%)
  • 66 to 7517 (4.1%)
  • Over 7514 (3.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider285 (70%)
  • Passenger72 (18%)
  • Pedestrian53 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car414 (70%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes49 (8.3%)
  • Motorcycle47 (7.9%)
  • Pedal cycle44 (7.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes12 (2%)
  • Bus or coach7 (1.2%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)7 (1.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (1%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown4 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Colchester in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 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 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Colchester had the 98th most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
98th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
101st
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
117th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
109th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Colchester in 2021

Castle, Colchester, CO1 1JQ area and Castle, Colchester, CO1 2ZF area were among the busiest accident hotspots in Colchester in 2021, with 24 collisions each.

Roads in Colchester with the most crashes in 2021

The A12 had the most collisions in Colchester in 2021: 34, including 1 fatal and 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Colchester, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA12345619
2ndA134324325
3rdA133262907
4thB1022192102
5thA120121502
6thB1025121802
7thA1124101203
8thB102661001
9thA12325602
10thA1375503
11thB14084400
12thB15082200
13thB10291100

Towns in Colchester: crashes in 2021

Colchester itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2021: 194.

Postcode districts in Colchester: crashes in 2021

CO4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Colchester in 2021: 79.

Latest crashes in Colchester in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Colchester in 2021, 1 was fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2021.

Severity

Colchester road accidents in other years