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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 509 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 2021, and 699 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 155 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 2020 (498), and casualties rose from 674.

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

Collisions in 2021
509
Up 2% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
699
Up 4% on 2020
Fatal collisions
11
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
155
30% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 2021

2.2% of collisions in County Durham in 2021 were fatal and 30% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal112.2%
  • Serious15530%
  • Slight34367%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal152.1%
  • Serious18226%
  • Slight50272%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 2021 is highlighted, with 509, up 2% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 509
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday72 (14%)
  • Tuesday80 (16%)
  • Wednesday76 (15%)
  • Thursday75 (15%)
  • Friday84 (17%)
  • Saturday67 (13%)
  • Sunday55 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5915 (2.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5910 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5961 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5970 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5999 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59143 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5985 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5926 (5.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January34 (6.7%)
  • February35 (6.9%)
  • March37 (7.3%)
  • April49 (9.6%)
  • May36 (7.1%)
  • June49 (9.6%)
  • July47 (9.2%)
  • August38 (7.5%)
  • September50 (9.8%)
  • October38 (7.5%)
  • November52 (10%)
  • December44 (8.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight384 (75%)
  • Dark, street lights lit73 (14%)
  • Dark, no street lighting46 (9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds441 (87%)
  • Raining, no high winds36 (7.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds11 (2.2%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds5 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Other7 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry372 (73%)
  • Wet or damp112 (22%)
  • Frost or ice13 (2.6%)
  • Snow12 (2.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph288 (57%)
  • 40 mph22 (4.3%)
  • 50 mph12 (2.4%)
  • 60 mph149 (29%)
  • 70 mph35 (6.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway407 (80%)
  • Dual carriageway61 (12%)
  • Roundabout28 (5.5%)
  • One way street or slip road12 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant440 (63%)
  • Pedestrian89 (13%)
  • Motorcyclist59 (8.4%)
  • Cyclist52 (7.4%)
  • Van occupant29 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant11 (1.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.6%)
  • Mobility scooter rider3 (0.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (weight unknown)2 (0.3%)
  • Other3 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (1.9%)
  • 6 to 1024 (3.4%)
  • 11 to 1540 (5.7%)
  • 16 to 2068 (9.7%)
  • 21 to 2557 (8.2%)
  • 26 to 35153 (22%)
  • 36 to 45115 (16%)
  • 46 to 5588 (13%)
  • 56 to 6567 (9.6%)
  • 66 to 7542 (6%)
  • Over 7531 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider457 (65%)
  • Passenger153 (22%)
  • Pedestrian89 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car696 (74%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes72 (7.6%)
  • Motorcycle64 (6.8%)
  • Pedal cycle53 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes20 (2.1%)
  • Bus or coach17 (1.8%)
  • Other vehicle12 (1.3%)
  • Mobility scooter3 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car3 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown2 (0.2%)
  • Other3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 2021

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

Accident hotspots (10)

How County Durham ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 53rd most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
53rd
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
44th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
21st
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
18th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in County Durham in 2021

Elvet, Gilesgate & Shincliffe, County Durham, DH1 3RB area was the busiest accident hotspot in County Durham in 2021, with 14 collisions, 3 of them serious.

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 2021

The A167 and A689 had the most collisions in County Durham in 2021, with 21 each.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA167212903
2ndA689213108
3rdA1(M)172912
4thA691172603
5thA19162418
6thA690162102
7thA688152616
8thA693111802
9thA177101008
10thB6532101003
11thA6881303
12thB12838802
13thA10867912
14thB628871504
15thA1816801
16thB12806604
17thB12856801
18thA60765501
19thA6925805
20thB14045602

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 2021

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 2021: 37.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 2021

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 2021: 66.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 2021, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2021.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years