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CrashStats

Cornwall road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 862 road traffic collisions in Cornwall in 2020, and 1,218 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 18 were fatal and 204 were serious.

Collisions were down 24% on 2019 (1,131), and casualties fell from 1,616.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 78,835 collisions in Cornwall.

Collisions in 2020
862
Down 24% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
1,218
Down 25% on 2019
Fatal collisions
18
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
204
24% of collisions

Crash severity in Cornwall in 2020

2.1% of collisions in Cornwall in 2020 were fatal and 24% serious, against 1.9% and 19% in Cornwall from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal182.1%
  • Serious20424%
  • Slight64074%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal201.6%
  • Serious23019%
  • Slight96879%

Cornwall road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Cornwall, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,120 in 2001. 2020 is highlighted, with 862, down 24% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20259201,194
20249411,236
20231,0001,379
20221,0121,420
20219781,444
20208621,218
20191,1311,616
20181,1751,690
20171,1481,678
20161,2031,783
20151,2281,722
20141,3091,907
20131,2841,804
20121,3011,830
20111,3772,026
20101,4132,091
20091,4992,160
20081,5772,264
20071,9032,648
20061,9282,688
20052,0782,897
20042,0012,737
20032,0582,844
20022,0222,726
20012,1202,847
20001,9642,646
19992,0142,739
19981,9722,709
19972,0352,811
19962,0202,808
19951,8152,476
19941,9982,777
19931,9662,604
19921,7702,443
19911,8382,481
19902,1112,822
19892,0962,814
19881,9762,664
19871,8662,535
19861,9382,648
19851,9482,600
19842,0162,646
19831,8632,497
19822,0492,856
19812,0452,855
19801,9992,865
19792,0682,953

When and where crashes happen in Cornwall in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday113 (13%)
  • Tuesday118 (14%)
  • Wednesday123 (14%)
  • Thursday138 (16%)
  • Friday125 (15%)
  • Saturday127 (15%)
  • Sunday118 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5927 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5912 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59106 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59133 (15%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59163 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59237 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59122 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5962 (7.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January62 (7.2%)
  • February71 (8.2%)
  • March57 (6.6%)
  • April33 (3.8%)
  • May53 (6.1%)
  • June71 (8.2%)
  • July100 (12%)
  • August95 (11%)
  • September88 (10%)
  • October87 (10%)
  • November64 (7.4%)
  • December81 (9.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight652 (76%)
  • Dark, no street lighting109 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit92 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown6 (0.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds625 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds128 (15%)
  • Raining with high winds41 (4.8%)
  • Fine with high winds20 (2.3%)
  • Fog or mist7 (0.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other23 (2.7%)
  • Not recorded11 (1.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry523 (61%)
  • Wet or damp319 (37%)
  • Frost or ice16 (1.9%)
  • Snow3 (0.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph6 (0.7%)
  • 30 mph386 (45%)
  • 40 mph64 (7.4%)
  • 50 mph20 (2.3%)
  • 60 mph338 (39%)
  • 70 mph48 (5.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway748 (87%)
  • Dual carriageway61 (7.1%)
  • Roundabout41 (4.8%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Cornwall in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant797 (65%)
  • Motorcyclist134 (11%)
  • Pedestrian107 (8.8%)
  • Cyclist80 (6.6%)
  • Van occupant64 (5.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant6 (0.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (weight unknown)4 (0.3%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant3 (0.2%)
  • Other6 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 520 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 1037 (3%)
  • 11 to 1533 (2.7%)
  • 16 to 20147 (12%)
  • 21 to 25134 (11%)
  • 26 to 35231 (19%)
  • 36 to 45172 (14%)
  • 46 to 55178 (15%)
  • 56 to 65131 (11%)
  • 66 to 7567 (5.5%)
  • Over 7555 (4.5%)
  • Not recorded13 (1.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider853 (70%)
  • Passenger258 (21%)
  • Pedestrian107 (8.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,112 (73%)
  • Motorcycle135 (8.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes116 (7.6%)
  • Pedal cycle80 (5.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes32 (2.1%)
  • Agricultural vehicle13 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle12 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.5%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown6 (0.4%)
  • Bus or coach5 (0.3%)
  • Other4 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Cornwall in 2020

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

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Cornwall ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Cornwall had the 10th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
10th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
4th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
3rd
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Cornwall in 2020

Penzance East, Cornwall, TR18 2SL area was the busiest accident hotspot in Cornwall in 2020, with 12 collisions, 3 of them serious.

Roads in Cornwall with the most crashes in 2020

The A30 had the most collisions in Cornwall in 2020: 72, including 3 fatal and 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Cornwall, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3072104314
2ndA394977313
3rdA3904367213
4thA38265116
5thA388243826
6thA3047172301
7thA389172514
8thB3254151704
9thA392131706
10thA394132104
11thA3058111503
12thB3274111912
13thA3075101702
14thB3292101711
15thA39591502
16thB32848901
17thB330181003
18thA39371602
19thB32937902
20thB33007702

Towns in Cornwall: crashes in 2020

St Austell had the most collisions of any town in Cornwall in 2020: 22.

Postcode districts in Cornwall: crashes in 2020

PL15 and PL26 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Cornwall in 2020, with 50 each.

Latest crashes in Cornwall in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Cornwall in 2020, none were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2020.

Severity

Cornwall road accidents in other years