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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 2018: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 638 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 2018, and 898 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 138 were serious.

Collisions were down 14% on 2017 (740), and casualties fell from 1,055.

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

Collisions in 2018
638
Down 14% on 2017
Casualties in 2018
898
Down 15% on 2017
Fatal collisions
13
2% of collisions
Serious collisions
138
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 2018

2% of collisions in Dorset in 2018 were fatal and 22% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal132%
  • Serious13822%
  • Slight48776%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal131.4%
  • Serious16318%
  • Slight72280%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 2018 is highlighted, with 638, down 14% on 2017.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2018: 638
  • 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 2018

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday110 (17%)
  • Tuesday94 (15%)
  • Wednesday92 (14%)
  • Thursday88 (14%)
  • Friday98 (15%)
  • Saturday78 (12%)
  • Sunday78 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5916 (2.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5977 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59119 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59134 (21%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59155 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5987 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5943 (6.7%)

Collisions by month

  • January43 (6.7%)
  • February47 (7.4%)
  • March46 (7.2%)
  • April47 (7.4%)
  • May42 (6.6%)
  • June69 (11%)
  • July85 (13%)
  • August53 (8.3%)
  • September48 (7.5%)
  • October60 (9.4%)
  • November43 (6.7%)
  • December55 (8.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight508 (80%)
  • Dark, no street lighting73 (11%)
  • Dark, street lights lit52 (8.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds543 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds58 (9.1%)
  • Fine with high winds12 (1.9%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (1.1%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Other8 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry485 (76%)
  • Wet or damp136 (21%)
  • Frost or ice11 (1.7%)
  • Snow5 (0.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph5 (0.8%)
  • 30 mph255 (40%)
  • 40 mph78 (12%)
  • 50 mph33 (5.2%)
  • 60 mph243 (38%)
  • 70 mph24 (3.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway567 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway43 (6.7%)
  • Roundabout19 (3%)
  • One way street or slip road8 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 2018

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant605 (67%)
  • Motorcyclist119 (13%)
  • Pedestrian73 (8.1%)
  • Cyclist61 (6.8%)
  • Van occupant21 (2.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant5 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant4 (0.4%)
  • Horse rider2 (0.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 519 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1025 (2.8%)
  • 11 to 1526 (2.9%)
  • 16 to 2095 (11%)
  • 21 to 25101 (11%)
  • 26 to 35150 (17%)
  • 36 to 45103 (11%)
  • 46 to 55133 (15%)
  • 56 to 65100 (11%)
  • 66 to 7581 (9%)
  • Over 7565 (7.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider592 (66%)
  • Passenger233 (26%)
  • Pedestrian73 (8.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car897 (73%)
  • Motorcycle119 (9.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes89 (7.3%)
  • Pedal cycle63 (5.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes24 (2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (0.8%)
  • Agricultural vehicle8 (0.7%)
  • Bus or coach5 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.4%)
  • Ridden horse2 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 2018

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2018 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
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Dorset ranked among 351 areas in 2018

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 51st most road collisions in 2018.

Collisions
51st
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
42nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
16th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
25th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Dorset in 2018

Westham, Dorset, DT4 0UB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Dorset in 2018, with 16 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 2018

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 2018: 74, including 3 fatal and 16 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 2018
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3574123316
2ndA3545077111
3rdA31324904
4thA351232908
5thA350173006
6thA352162712
7thA30152213
8thB3081151805
9thB3157131703
10thB3073111205
11thA37101203
12thB3150101301
13thA34891401
14thA35691503
15thA34781001
16thA35781402
17thB30728901
18thB307881300
19thB308281902
20thB315581100

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 2018

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 2018: 68.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 2018

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 2018: 73.

Former districts in Dorset in 2018

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 2018: 189.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 2018

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 2018, none were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 28 December 2018.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years