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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 2003: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,308 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 2003, and 1,905 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 33 were fatal and 207 were serious.

Collisions were down 8% on 2002 (1,421), and casualties fell from 2,082.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 51,591 collisions in Dorset.

Collisions in 2003
1,308
Down 8% on 2002
Casualties in 2003
1,905
Down 9% on 2002
Fatal collisions
33
2.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
207
16% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 2003

2.5% of collisions in Dorset in 2003 were fatal and 16% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal332.5%
  • Serious20716%
  • Slight1,06882%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal331.7%
  • Serious24413%
  • Slight1,62885%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 2003 is highlighted, with 1,308, down 8% on 2002.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2003
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025675893
2024686883
2023662870
2022712962
2021621812
2020563777
2019635912
2018638898
20177401,055
20167751,209
20158611,211
20148151,161
20137991,145
20128431,201
20118521,208
20109161,286
20091,0151,446
20081,1001,616
20071,1171,612
20061,1861,713
20051,2181,760
20041,2821,878
20031,3081,905
20021,4212,082
20011,4622,163
20001,4202,126
19991,3741,990
19981,4562,152
19971,4792,170
19961,3842,108
19951,2171,979
19941,2661,937
19931,2311,828
19921,2721,942
19911,1711,752
19901,2851,941
19891,2801,862
19881,3361,948
19871,2861,815
19861,3141,880
19851,2881,823
19841,3141,898
19831,1461,574
19821,2461,759
19811,2211,780
19801,2851,744
19791,4182,020

When and where crashes happen in Dorset in 2003

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday179 (14%)
  • Tuesday173 (13%)
  • Wednesday186 (14%)
  • Thursday154 (12%)
  • Friday247 (19%)
  • Saturday199 (15%)
  • Sunday170 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5938 (2.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5918 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59155 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59204 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59256 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59333 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59197 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59107 (8.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January109 (8.3%)
  • February98 (7.5%)
  • March96 (7.3%)
  • April111 (8.5%)
  • May122 (9.3%)
  • June119 (9.1%)
  • July99 (7.6%)
  • August116 (8.9%)
  • September117 (8.9%)
  • October122 (9.3%)
  • November97 (7.4%)
  • December102 (7.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight991 (76%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit162 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit149 (11%)
  • Dark, no street lighting5 (0.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,107 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds147 (11%)
  • Fog or mist20 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds7 (0.5%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.2%)
  • Other19 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry901 (69%)
  • Wet or damp379 (29%)
  • Frost or ice25 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)
  • Snow1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph22 (1.7%)
  • 30 mph570 (44%)
  • 40 mph107 (8.2%)
  • 50 mph57 (4.4%)
  • 60 mph511 (39%)
  • 70 mph41 (3.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,132 (87%)
  • Roundabout85 (6.5%)
  • Dual carriageway52 (4%)
  • One way street or slip road14 (1.1%)
  • Not recorded25 (1.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 2003

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,303 (68%)
  • Motorcyclist224 (12%)
  • Pedestrian170 (8.9%)
  • Cyclist86 (4.5%)
  • Van occupant48 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)28 (1.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant27 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant9 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant4 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)
  • Other2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 535 (1.8%)
  • 6 to 1067 (3.5%)
  • 11 to 1592 (4.8%)
  • 16 to 20293 (15%)
  • 21 to 25210 (11%)
  • 26 to 35330 (17%)
  • 36 to 45321 (17%)
  • 46 to 55198 (10%)
  • 56 to 65162 (8.5%)
  • 66 to 75110 (5.8%)
  • Over 7581 (4.3%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,217 (64%)
  • Passenger518 (27%)
  • Pedestrian170 (8.9%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,830 (76%)
  • Motorcycle224 (9.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes109 (4.5%)
  • Pedal cycle90 (3.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes84 (3.5%)
  • Bus or coach31 (1.3%)
  • Other vehicle20 (0.8%)
  • Agricultural vehicle12 (0.5%)
  • Minibus10 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.3%)
  • Other2 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 2003

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

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 Dorset ranked among 351 areas in 2003

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 25th most road collisions in 2003.

Collisions
25th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
18th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
10th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
17th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Dorset in 2003

Westham, Dorset, DT4 0UB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Dorset in 2003, with 40 collisions, 4 of them serious.

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 2003

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 2003: 110, including 7 fatal and 17 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 2003
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35110185717
2ndA35410315239
3rdA31699737
4thB3157446319
5thA350435917
6thA352325215
7thB3081325229
8thA30284008
9thA353275206
10thB3072273606
11thA351253907
12thB3073254106
13thA357213423
14thA37204212
15thA3066163004
16thB3078162122
17thB3067141701
18thA347131701
19thB3082132012
20thA348121401

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 2003

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 2003: 153.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 2003

BH21 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 2003: 151.

Former districts in Dorset in 2003

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 2003: 359.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 2003

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 2003, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2003.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years