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CrashStats

Colchester road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 303 road traffic collisions in Colchester in 2023, and 383 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 67 were serious.

Collisions were down 9% on 2022 (334), and casualties fell from 420.

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

Collisions in 2023
303
Down 9% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
383
Down 9% on 2022
Fatal collisions
2
0.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
67
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Colchester in 2023

0.7% of collisions in Colchester in 2023 were fatal and 22% serious, against 1.5% and 21% in Colchester from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.7%
  • Serious6722%
  • Slight23477%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.5%
  • Serious7720%
  • Slight30479%

Colchester road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Colchester, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 770 in 1989. 2023 is highlighted, with 303, down 9% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 303
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday37 (12%)
  • Tuesday43 (14%)
  • Wednesday43 (14%)
  • Thursday52 (17%)
  • Friday50 (17%)
  • Saturday38 (13%)
  • Sunday40 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5911 (3.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (0.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5931 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5948 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5959 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5975 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5945 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5932 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January30 (9.9%)
  • February20 (6.6%)
  • March19 (6.3%)
  • April22 (7.3%)
  • May19 (6.3%)
  • June31 (10%)
  • July25 (8.3%)
  • August22 (7.3%)
  • September24 (7.9%)
  • October35 (12%)
  • November28 (9.2%)
  • December28 (9.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight212 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit64 (21%)
  • Dark, no street lighting22 (7.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds257 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds26 (8.6%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (1.3%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other4 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded11 (3.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry222 (73%)
  • Wet or damp73 (24%)
  • Frost or ice2 (0.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded5 (1.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph9 (3%)
  • 30 mph194 (64%)
  • 40 mph41 (14%)
  • 50 mph4 (1.3%)
  • 60 mph27 (8.9%)
  • 70 mph28 (9.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway218 (72%)
  • Dual carriageway47 (16%)
  • Roundabout29 (9.6%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (1.7%)
  • Not recorded4 (1.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Colchester in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant216 (56%)
  • Motorcyclist48 (13%)
  • Pedestrian45 (12%)
  • Cyclist41 (11%)
  • Van occupant13 (3.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter rider2 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Other2 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 55 (1.3%)
  • 6 to 1012 (3.1%)
  • 11 to 1520 (5.2%)
  • 16 to 2044 (11%)
  • 21 to 2545 (12%)
  • 26 to 3587 (23%)
  • 36 to 4548 (13%)
  • 46 to 5539 (10%)
  • 56 to 6539 (10%)
  • 66 to 7518 (4.7%)
  • Over 7516 (4.2%)
  • Not recorded10 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider270 (70%)
  • Passenger68 (18%)
  • Pedestrian45 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car410 (70%)
  • Motorcycle51 (8.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes42 (7.2%)
  • Pedal cycle41 (7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes15 (2.6%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)9 (1.5%)
  • Bus or coach5 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown3 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter2 (0.3%)
  • Other2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Colchester in 2023

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

Accident hotspots (10)

How Colchester ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Colchester had the 109th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
109th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
116th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
227th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
115th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Colchester in 2023

Castle, Colchester, CO1 1JQ area was the busiest accident hotspot in Colchester in 2023, with 28 collisions, 4 of them serious.

Roads in Colchester with the most crashes in 2023

The A12 had the most collisions in Colchester in 2023: 28, including 5 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Colchester, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA12284105
2ndA134253207
3rdA133202307
4thB1022182701
5thA1124171906
6thB1025162113
7thA1205801
8thB10234801
9thB14084701
10thB15084700
11thA12323300
12thB10262301
13thB10272201
14thB10282200

Towns in Colchester: crashes in 2023

Colchester itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2023: 178.

Postcode districts in Colchester: crashes in 2023

CO3 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Colchester in 2023: 69.

Latest crashes in Colchester in 2023

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

Severity

Colchester road accidents in other years