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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 2017: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 740 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 2017, and 1,055 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 19 were fatal and 149 were serious.

Collisions were down 5% on 2016 (775), and casualties fell from 1,209.

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

Collisions in 2017
740
Down 5% on 2016
Casualties in 2017
1,055
Down 13% on 2016
Fatal collisions
19
2.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
149
20% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 2017

2.6% of collisions in Dorset in 2017 were fatal and 20% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal192.6%
  • Serious14920%
  • Slight57277%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal201.9%
  • Serious18017%
  • Slight85581%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 2017 is highlighted, with 740, down 5% on 2016.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2017
  • 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 2017

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday105 (14%)
  • Tuesday113 (15%)
  • Wednesday117 (16%)
  • Thursday109 (15%)
  • Friday125 (17%)
  • Saturday82 (11%)
  • Sunday89 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5912 (1.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5910 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59104 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59123 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59148 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59173 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59108 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5962 (8.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January69 (9.3%)
  • February44 (5.9%)
  • March58 (7.8%)
  • April54 (7.3%)
  • May59 (8%)
  • June68 (9.2%)
  • July82 (11%)
  • August66 (8.9%)
  • September52 (7%)
  • October63 (8.5%)
  • November46 (6.2%)
  • December79 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight558 (75%)
  • Dark, no street lighting95 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit78 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds601 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds83 (11%)
  • Raining with high winds17 (2.3%)
  • Fog or mist11 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (0.7%)
  • Other14 (1.9%)
  • Not recorded9 (1.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry531 (72%)
  • Wet or damp185 (25%)
  • Frost or ice24 (3.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (0.4%)
  • 30 mph300 (41%)
  • 40 mph76 (10%)
  • 50 mph31 (4.2%)
  • 60 mph305 (41%)
  • 70 mph25 (3.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway675 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway43 (5.8%)
  • Roundabout17 (2.3%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 2017

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant677 (64%)
  • Motorcyclist130 (12%)
  • Pedestrian96 (9.1%)
  • Cyclist79 (7.5%)
  • Van occupant44 (4.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (0.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (0.6%)
  • Mobility scooter rider4 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.3%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Other5 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 516 (1.5%)
  • 6 to 1027 (2.6%)
  • 11 to 1531 (2.9%)
  • 16 to 20138 (13%)
  • 21 to 25127 (12%)
  • 26 to 35171 (16%)
  • 36 to 45130 (12%)
  • 46 to 55130 (12%)
  • 56 to 65119 (11%)
  • 66 to 7586 (8.2%)
  • Over 7580 (7.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider720 (68%)
  • Passenger239 (23%)
  • Pedestrian96 (9.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car937 (71%)
  • Motorcycle125 (9.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes110 (8.3%)
  • Pedal cycle80 (6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes25 (1.9%)
  • Other vehicle12 (0.9%)
  • Bus or coach9 (0.7%)
  • Agricultural vehicle8 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter5 (0.4%)
  • Other6 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 2017

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2017 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 2017

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 41st most road collisions in 2017.

Collisions
41st
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
32nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
7th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
16th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Dorset in 2017

Westham, Dorset, DT4 0UB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Dorset in 2017, with 25 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 2017

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 2017: 75, including 3 fatal and 16 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 2017
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3575134316
2ndA3544576210
3rdA31325416
4thA352233128
5thB3081233205
6thA351223107
7thA350183005
8thA30172103
9thB3073172506
10thA3066141921
11thB3157141613
12thA347131302
13thB3072131514
14thA348121505
15thB3078121702
16thB315591310
17thA33871011
18thA3537901
19thB308271602
20thB335171005

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 2017

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 2017: 64.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 2017

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 2017: 100.

Former districts in Dorset in 2017

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 2017: 225.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 2017

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 2017, 2 were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2017.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years