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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 662 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 2023, and 870 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 137 were serious.

Collisions were down 7% on 2022 (712), and casualties fell from 962.

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

Collisions in 2023
662
Down 7% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
870
Down 10% on 2022
Fatal collisions
9
1.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
137
21% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 2023

1.4% of collisions in Dorset in 2023 were fatal and 21% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal91.4%
  • Serious13721%
  • Slight51678%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal91%
  • Serious15318%
  • Slight70881%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 2023 is highlighted, with 662, down 7% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 662
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday94 (14%)
  • Tuesday92 (14%)
  • Wednesday112 (17%)
  • Thursday98 (15%)
  • Friday96 (15%)
  • Saturday91 (14%)
  • Sunday79 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5918 (2.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5916 (2.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5990 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59112 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59131 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59164 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5973 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5958 (8.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January66 (10%)
  • February37 (5.6%)
  • March34 (5.1%)
  • April45 (6.8%)
  • May70 (11%)
  • June58 (8.8%)
  • July67 (10%)
  • August64 (9.7%)
  • September64 (9.7%)
  • October48 (7.3%)
  • November54 (8.2%)
  • December55 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight488 (74%)
  • Dark, no street lighting96 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit67 (10%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown6 (0.9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (0.8%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds566 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds68 (10%)
  • Fine with high winds11 (1.7%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (1.4%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry479 (72%)
  • Wet or damp149 (23%)
  • Frost or ice29 (4.4%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.6%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph4 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph282 (43%)
  • 40 mph59 (8.9%)
  • 50 mph45 (6.8%)
  • 60 mph256 (39%)
  • 70 mph16 (2.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway603 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway30 (4.5%)
  • Roundabout25 (3.8%)
  • One way street or slip road4 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant550 (63%)
  • Motorcyclist105 (12%)
  • Pedestrian89 (10%)
  • Cyclist60 (6.9%)
  • Van occupant47 (5.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.3%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user2 (0.2%)
  • Mobility scooter rider2 (0.2%)
  • Other2 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (1.5%)
  • 6 to 1010 (1.1%)
  • 11 to 1546 (5.3%)
  • 16 to 20119 (14%)
  • 21 to 2578 (9%)
  • 26 to 35146 (17%)
  • 36 to 45102 (12%)
  • 46 to 55107 (12%)
  • 56 to 65103 (12%)
  • 66 to 7591 (10%)
  • Over 7554 (6.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider608 (70%)
  • Passenger173 (20%)
  • Pedestrian89 (10%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car842 (72%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes113 (9.6%)
  • Motorcycle102 (8.7%)
  • Pedal cycle62 (5.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes23 (2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle9 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter3 (0.3%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)3 (0.3%)
  • Other6 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 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 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 33rd most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
33rd
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
26th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
30th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
27th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Dorset in 2023

Westham, Dorset, DT4 0UB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Dorset in 2023, with 21 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 2023

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 2023: 57, including 13 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA355789013
2ndA31406205
3rdA354404908
4thA352202303
5thB3081203202
6thB3157192506
7thB3159172022
8thB3073161904
9thA350122004
10thA351121703
11thB3072121401
12thA30102008
13thA348101001
14thB3155101003
15thB307891210
16thA306681212
17thA3538904
18thB30928810
19thB31547701
20thB31627803

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 2023

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 2023: 80.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 2023

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 2023: 85.

Former districts in Dorset in 2023

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 2023: 209.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 2023, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years