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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 464 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 2023, and 610 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 21 were fatal and 158 were serious.

Collisions were down 8% on 2022 (507), and casualties fell from 685.

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

Collisions in 2023
464
Down 8% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
610
Down 11% on 2022
Fatal collisions
21
4.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
158
34% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 2023

4.5% of collisions in County Durham in 2023 were fatal and 34% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal214.5%
  • Serious15834%
  • Slight28561%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal223.6%
  • Serious18731%
  • Slight40166%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 2023 is highlighted, with 464, down 8% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 464
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday74 (16%)
  • Tuesday61 (13%)
  • Wednesday66 (14%)
  • Thursday60 (13%)
  • Friday75 (16%)
  • Saturday65 (14%)
  • Sunday63 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5912 (2.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5910 (2.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5956 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5960 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5984 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59132 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5975 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5935 (7.5%)

Collisions by month

  • January42 (9.1%)
  • February37 (8%)
  • March35 (7.5%)
  • April28 (6%)
  • May37 (8%)
  • June41 (8.8%)
  • July40 (8.6%)
  • August33 (7.1%)
  • September38 (8.2%)
  • October32 (6.9%)
  • November52 (11%)
  • December49 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight329 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit96 (21%)
  • Dark, no street lighting31 (6.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (1.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds377 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds58 (13%)
  • Fog or mist7 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (1.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds4 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other8 (1.7%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry302 (65%)
  • Wet or damp144 (31%)
  • Frost or ice7 (1.5%)
  • Snow5 (1.1%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep3 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph275 (59%)
  • 40 mph29 (6.3%)
  • 50 mph12 (2.6%)
  • 60 mph127 (27%)
  • 70 mph18 (3.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway368 (79%)
  • Dual carriageway49 (11%)
  • Roundabout39 (8.4%)
  • One way street or slip road7 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant352 (58%)
  • Pedestrian109 (18%)
  • Motorcyclist56 (9.2%)
  • Cyclist52 (8.5%)
  • Van occupant17 (2.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant11 (1.8%)
  • Mobility scooter rider3 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.5%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user2 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.3%)
  • Other2 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 510 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 1021 (3.4%)
  • 11 to 1541 (6.7%)
  • 16 to 2084 (14%)
  • 21 to 2566 (11%)
  • 26 to 35118 (19%)
  • 36 to 4575 (12%)
  • 46 to 5576 (12%)
  • 56 to 6565 (11%)
  • 66 to 7540 (6.6%)
  • Over 7514 (2.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider374 (61%)
  • Passenger127 (21%)
  • Pedestrian109 (18%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car615 (75%)
  • Motorcycle60 (7.3%)
  • Pedal cycle51 (6.2%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes46 (5.6%)
  • Bus or coach15 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes9 (1.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car9 (1.1%)
  • Mobility scooter4 (0.5%)
  • Agricultural vehicle3 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.4%)
  • Other5 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 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 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 58th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
58th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
57th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
4th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
17th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in County Durham in 2023

Elvet, Gilesgate & Shincliffe, County Durham, DH1 3RB area was the busiest accident hotspot in County Durham in 2023, with 15 collisions, 1 of them fatal.

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 2023

The A689 had the most collisions in County Durham in 2023: 25, including 3 fatal and 10 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6892537310
2ndA167222916
3rdA688202924
4thA690131804
5thA693121501
6thA1(M)111603
7thA177101806
8thB6532101903
9thB628291004
10thA6918914
11thA18171001
12thA60767812
13thA687702
14thA196703
15thB62916602
16thB63026602
17thA10865502
18thB12784410
19thB12804401
20thB12834501

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 2023

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 2023: 44.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 2023

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 2023: 62.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 2023, 2 were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years