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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 2003: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,545 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 2003, and 2,336 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 36 were fatal and 160 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 2002 (1,575), and casualties rose from 2,308.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 59,228 collisions in County Durham.

Collisions in 2003
1,545
Down 2% on 2002
Casualties in 2003
2,336
Up 1% on 2002
Fatal collisions
36
2.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
160
10% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 2003

2.3% of collisions in County Durham in 2003 were fatal and 10% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal362.3%
  • Serious16010%
  • Slight1,34987%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal391.7%
  • Serious2018.6%
  • Slight2,09690%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 2003 is highlighted, with 1,545, down 2% on 2002.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2003
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025438561
2024452584
2023464610
2022507685
2021509699
2020498674
2019684929
20187561,083
20178391,250
20168051,177
20158661,242
20141,0131,585
20139491,369
20121,0091,544
20111,1441,654
20101,1731,708
20091,3842,078
20081,2381,914
20071,2701,973
20061,3091,947
20051,4552,139
20041,4372,142
20031,5452,336
20021,5752,308
20011,5072,227
20001,5732,250
19991,4702,163
19981,6542,472
19971,6612,536
19961,6462,534
19951,6762,456
19941,4572,132
19931,5322,304
19921,6822,423
19911,6192,345
19901,7262,568
19891,6322,424
19881,4321,996
19871,4802,130
19861,5092,120
19851,4582,069
19841,4331,987
19831,4091,865
19821,5122,138
19811,5322,115
19801,6272,230
19791,6822,248

When and where crashes happen in County Durham in 2003

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday218 (14%)
  • Tuesday206 (13%)
  • Wednesday188 (12%)
  • Thursday228 (15%)
  • Friday287 (19%)
  • Saturday240 (16%)
  • Sunday178 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5967 (4.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5926 (1.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59169 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59237 (15%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59279 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59399 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59253 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59115 (7.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January127 (8.2%)
  • February114 (7.4%)
  • March121 (7.8%)
  • April126 (8.2%)
  • May117 (7.6%)
  • June116 (7.5%)
  • July147 (9.5%)
  • August134 (8.7%)
  • September127 (8.2%)
  • October143 (9.3%)
  • November136 (8.8%)
  • December137 (8.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,129 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit298 (19%)
  • Dark, no street lighting108 (7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit7 (0.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,282 (83%)
  • Raining, no high winds182 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds29 (1.9%)
  • Fog or mist18 (1.2%)
  • Raining with high winds12 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds10 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds9 (0.6%)
  • Other3 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry982 (64%)
  • Wet or damp488 (32%)
  • Frost or ice47 (3%)
  • Snow20 (1.3%)
  • Oil or diesel4 (0.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)
  • Mud2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph838 (54%)
  • 40 mph95 (6.1%)
  • 50 mph17 (1.1%)
  • 60 mph454 (29%)
  • 70 mph140 (9.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,270 (82%)
  • Dual carriageway197 (13%)
  • Roundabout69 (4.5%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 2003

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,627 (70%)
  • Pedestrian256 (11%)
  • Motorcyclist143 (6.1%)
  • Van occupant97 (4.2%)
  • Cyclist86 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant66 (2.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant21 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)17 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant12 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (0.3%)
  • Other3 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 553 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1097 (4.2%)
  • 11 to 15151 (6.5%)
  • 16 to 20369 (16%)
  • 21 to 25254 (11%)
  • 26 to 35460 (20%)
  • 36 to 45403 (17%)
  • 46 to 55253 (11%)
  • 56 to 65159 (6.8%)
  • 66 to 7586 (3.7%)
  • Over 7551 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,352 (58%)
  • Passenger728 (31%)
  • Pedestrian256 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,172 (77%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes182 (6.5%)
  • Motorcycle145 (5.2%)
  • Pedal cycle88 (3.1%)
  • Bus or coach80 (2.9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes78 (2.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car38 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle12 (0.4%)
  • Minibus5 (0.2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle4 (0.1%)
  • Other2 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 2003

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2003 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in County Durham

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 County Durham ranked among 351 areas in 2003

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 15th most road collisions in 2003.

Collisions
15th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
13th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
6th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
34th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in County Durham in 2003

Elvet, Gilesgate & Shincliffe, County Durham, DH1 3RB area was the busiest accident hotspot in County Durham in 2003, with 39 collisions, 1 of them fatal.

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 2003

The A689 had the most collisions in County Durham in 2003: 71, including 4 fatal and 7 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 2003
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6897112847
2ndA1677098611
3rdA1(M)6610738
4thA690579003
5thA688568613
6thA19386625
7thA691314715
8thB6532284214
9thA693264501
10thA1086244101
11thA177245012
12thA68243816
13thA692244514
14thB6282233811
15thB1280212503
16thA181203213
17thA67182402
18thB1320162002
19thB6287162003
20thB6278152623

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 2003

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 2003: 125.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 2003

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 2003: 185.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 2003

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 2003, 3 were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2003.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years