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CrashStats

Cornwall road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 978 road traffic collisions in Cornwall in 2021, and 1,444 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 208 were serious.

Collisions were up 13% on 2020 (862), and casualties rose from 1,218.

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

Collisions in 2021
978
Up 13% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
1,444
Up 19% on 2020
Fatal collisions
13
1.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
208
21% of collisions

Crash severity in Cornwall in 2021

1.3% of collisions in Cornwall in 2021 were fatal and 21% serious, against 1.9% and 19% in Cornwall from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal131.3%
  • Serious20821%
  • Slight75777%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal130.9%
  • Serious23917%
  • Slight1,19283%

Cornwall road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Cornwall, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,120 in 2001. 2021 is highlighted, with 978, up 13% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday139 (14%)
  • Tuesday143 (15%)
  • Wednesday145 (15%)
  • Thursday159 (16%)
  • Friday149 (15%)
  • Saturday120 (12%)
  • Sunday123 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5934 (3.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5918 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59111 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59158 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59215 (22%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59245 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59137 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5960 (6.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January54 (5.5%)
  • February52 (5.3%)
  • March48 (4.9%)
  • April68 (7%)
  • May82 (8.4%)
  • June106 (11%)
  • July101 (10%)
  • August109 (11%)
  • September111 (11%)
  • October84 (8.6%)
  • November82 (8.4%)
  • December81 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight767 (78%)
  • Dark, no street lighting118 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit84 (8.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown8 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds770 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds127 (13%)
  • Raining with high winds32 (3.3%)
  • Fine with high winds13 (1.3%)
  • Fog or mist9 (0.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other20 (2%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry676 (69%)
  • Wet or damp282 (29%)
  • Frost or ice18 (1.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph15 (1.5%)
  • 30 mph444 (45%)
  • 40 mph75 (7.7%)
  • 50 mph32 (3.3%)
  • 60 mph361 (37%)
  • 70 mph51 (5.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway845 (86%)
  • Dual carriageway69 (7.1%)
  • Roundabout52 (5.3%)
  • One way street or slip road12 (1.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Cornwall in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant966 (67%)
  • Motorcyclist142 (9.8%)
  • Pedestrian133 (9.2%)
  • Van occupant88 (6.1%)
  • Cyclist75 (5.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)10 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant9 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant3 (0.2%)
  • Mobility scooter rider3 (0.2%)
  • Other8 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 514 (1%)
  • 6 to 1038 (2.6%)
  • 11 to 1548 (3.3%)
  • 16 to 20142 (9.8%)
  • 21 to 25151 (10%)
  • 26 to 35263 (18%)
  • 36 to 45210 (15%)
  • 46 to 55206 (14%)
  • 56 to 65166 (11%)
  • 66 to 7590 (6.2%)
  • Over 7579 (5.5%)
  • Not recorded37 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider980 (68%)
  • Passenger331 (23%)
  • Pedestrian133 (9.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,299 (73%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes166 (9.3%)
  • Motorcycle143 (8%)
  • Pedal cycle75 (4.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes40 (2.2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle21 (1.2%)
  • Bus or coach13 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle7 (0.4%)
  • Minibus4 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car4 (0.2%)
  • Other12 (0.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Cornwall in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 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
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Cornwall ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Cornwall had the 10th most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
10th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
3rd
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
13th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
7th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Cornwall in 2021

Truro Moresk & Trehaverne, Cornwall, TR1 2LS area was the busiest accident hotspot in Cornwall in 2021, with 15 collisions, 5 of them serious.

Roads in Cornwall with the most crashes in 2021

The A30 had the most collisions in Cornwall in 2021: 89, including 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Cornwall, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3089161020
2ndA3977119217
3rdA3905286111
4thA384476111
5thA388273909
6thA389152703
7thA394152405
8thB3254152302
9thA3047121504
10thA3058121601
11thB3297121804
12thB3314122302
13thA391111502
14thA392111703
15thB3274111804
16thA37491103
17thA307582111
18thA308281101
19thA38781303
20thB326671210

Towns in Cornwall: crashes in 2021

Newquay had the most collisions of any town in Cornwall in 2021: 30.

Postcode districts in Cornwall: crashes in 2021

TR4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Cornwall in 2021: 61.

Latest crashes in Cornwall in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Cornwall in 2021, 1 was fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2021.

Severity

Cornwall road accidents in other years