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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 498 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 2020, and 674 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 18 were fatal and 126 were serious.

Collisions were down 27% on 2019 (684), and casualties fell from 929.

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

Collisions in 2020
498
Down 27% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
674
Down 27% on 2019
Fatal collisions
18
3.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
126
25% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 2020

3.6% of collisions in County Durham in 2020 were fatal and 25% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal183.6%
  • Serious12625%
  • Slight35471%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal192.8%
  • Serious15122%
  • Slight50475%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 2020 is highlighted, with 498, down 27% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 498
  • 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 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday77 (15%)
  • Tuesday81 (16%)
  • Wednesday62 (12%)
  • Thursday95 (19%)
  • Friday77 (15%)
  • Saturday58 (12%)
  • Sunday48 (9.6%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5911 (2.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5947 (9.4%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5993 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59102 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59133 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5980 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5925 (5%)

Collisions by month

  • January54 (11%)
  • February49 (9.8%)
  • March38 (7.6%)
  • April17 (3.4%)
  • May37 (7.4%)
  • June41 (8.2%)
  • July48 (9.6%)
  • August48 (9.6%)
  • September48 (9.6%)
  • October45 (9%)
  • November29 (5.8%)
  • December44 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight393 (79%)
  • Dark, street lights lit82 (16%)
  • Dark, no street lighting19 (3.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds411 (83%)
  • Raining, no high winds52 (10%)
  • Fine with high winds11 (2.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (1.2%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.8%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other7 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry351 (70%)
  • Wet or damp133 (27%)
  • Frost or ice7 (1.4%)
  • Snow6 (1.2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph299 (60%)
  • 40 mph28 (5.6%)
  • 50 mph4 (0.8%)
  • 60 mph138 (28%)
  • 70 mph29 (5.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway411 (83%)
  • Roundabout40 (8%)
  • Dual carriageway37 (7.4%)
  • One way street or slip road10 (2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant406 (60%)
  • Pedestrian98 (15%)
  • Cyclist60 (8.9%)
  • Motorcyclist54 (8%)
  • Van occupant22 (3.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant18 (2.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.4%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.1%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 517 (2.5%)
  • 6 to 1026 (3.9%)
  • 11 to 1526 (3.9%)
  • 16 to 2071 (11%)
  • 21 to 2564 (9.5%)
  • 26 to 35143 (21%)
  • 36 to 4587 (13%)
  • 46 to 5599 (15%)
  • 56 to 6557 (8.5%)
  • 66 to 7544 (6.5%)
  • Over 7540 (5.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider423 (63%)
  • Passenger153 (23%)
  • Pedestrian98 (15%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car671 (74%)
  • Pedal cycle62 (6.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes58 (6.4%)
  • Motorcycle57 (6.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes18 (2%)
  • Bus or coach16 (1.8%)
  • Other vehicle9 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car9 (1%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown6 (0.7%)
  • Agricultural vehicle2 (0.2%)
  • Other2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 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 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 46th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
46th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
38th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
17th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in County Durham in 2020

Consett North, County Durham, DH8 6GH area was the busiest accident hotspot in County Durham in 2020, with 12 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 2020

The A167 had the most collisions in County Durham in 2020: 18, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA167182409
2ndA689162135
3rdA690151711
4thB1283152005
5thA693142301
6thA1(M)121605
7thA688121711
8thA1086101913
9thA1778913
10thA6881423
11thA18171201
12thA1971603
13thA6917900
14thA6926701
15thB12786700
16thB62786912
17thB630861001
18thA1825611
19thB12805602
20thB12855501

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 2020

Bishop Auckland and Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 2020, with 23 each.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 2020

DH6 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 2020: 50.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 2020, 1 was fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2020.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years