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CrashStats

Highland road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 215 road traffic collisions in Highland in 2020, and 296 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 14 were fatal and 88 were serious.

Collisions were down 36% on 2019 (335), and casualties fell from 499.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 28,651 collisions in Highland.

Collisions in 2020
215
Down 36% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
296
Down 41% on 2019
Fatal collisions
14
6.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
88
41% of collisions

Crash severity in Highland in 2020

6.5% of collisions in Highland in 2020 were fatal and 41% serious, against 4.2% and 31% in Highland from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal146.5%
  • Serious8841%
  • Slight11353%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal186.1%
  • Serious10636%
  • Slight17258%

Highland road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Highland, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,020 in 1979. 2020 is highlighted, with 215, down 36% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 215
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025245392
2024273405
2023259390
2022206308
2021207295
2020215296
2019335499
2018387540
2017307434
2016386545
2015379507
2014431580
2013443616
2012455696
2011488685
2010474724
2009614938
2008586846
2007626929
2006620879
2005656993
20046801,058
20036781,035
2002628927
20016941,071
20006871,031
19997601,146
19987801,211
19977461,172
19967221,172
19957141,092
1994617939
19936931,043
19927631,170
19917691,229
19908171,318
19898511,358
19887201,088
19877161,078
19867681,199
19857851,250
19848021,207
19837521,155
19829491,437
19819671,461
19809811,487
19791,0201,602

When and where crashes happen in Highland in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday30 (14%)
  • Tuesday27 (13%)
  • Wednesday32 (15%)
  • Thursday31 (14%)
  • Friday35 (16%)
  • Saturday37 (17%)
  • Sunday23 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:595 (2.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (2.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5919 (8.8%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5936 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5962 (29%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5955 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5920 (9.3%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5912 (5.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January17 (7.9%)
  • February25 (12%)
  • March12 (5.6%)
  • April10 (4.7%)
  • May10 (4.7%)
  • June9 (4.2%)
  • July18 (8.4%)
  • August29 (13%)
  • September33 (15%)
  • October18 (8.4%)
  • November15 (7%)
  • December19 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight167 (78%)
  • Dark, no street lighting39 (18%)
  • Dark, street lights lit9 (4.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds156 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds33 (15%)
  • Snowing, no high winds5 (2.3%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (1.9%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (1.4%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.9%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.9%)
  • Other10 (4.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry119 (55%)
  • Wet or damp80 (37%)
  • Frost or ice11 (5.1%)
  • Snow5 (2.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph6 (2.8%)
  • 30 mph34 (16%)
  • 40 mph13 (6%)
  • 50 mph8 (3.7%)
  • 60 mph149 (69%)
  • 70 mph5 (2.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway203 (94%)
  • Dual carriageway7 (3.3%)
  • One way street or slip road3 (1.4%)
  • Roundabout2 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Highland in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant197 (67%)
  • Motorcyclist28 (9.5%)
  • Pedestrian24 (8.1%)
  • Cyclist22 (7.4%)
  • Van occupant12 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (1.7%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant4 (1.4%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (2.7%)
  • 6 to 109 (3%)
  • 11 to 157 (2.4%)
  • 16 to 2015 (5.1%)
  • 21 to 2526 (8.8%)
  • 26 to 3552 (18%)
  • 36 to 4541 (14%)
  • 46 to 5545 (15%)
  • 56 to 6543 (15%)
  • 66 to 7531 (10%)
  • Over 7519 (6.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider194 (66%)
  • Passenger78 (26%)
  • Pedestrian24 (8.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car246 (69%)
  • Motorcycle31 (8.7%)
  • Pedal cycle24 (6.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes24 (6.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes19 (5.4%)
  • Agricultural vehicle4 (1.1%)
  • Minibus3 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach2 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown1 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Highland in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 and the 8 busiest accident hotspots in Highland

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (8)

How Highland ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Highland had the 140th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
140th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
133rd
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
6th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
43rd
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Highland in 2020

Inverness Central, Highland, IV1 1RN area, Inverness Millburn, Highland, IV2 3SL area and Tain and Easter Ross, Highland, IV19 1DP area were among the busiest accident hotspots in Highland in 2020, with 5 collisions each.

Roads in Highland with the most crashes in 2020

The A9 had the most collisions in Highland in 2020: 32, including 1 fatal and 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Highland, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA9324019
2ndA822646311
3rdA87141906
4thA8327913
5thA8627802
6thA9971822
7thA8356901
8thA9396713
9thA8364510
10thA8504401
11thB91524702
12thA863501
13thA8823401
14thA953402
15thA963502
16thB8173403
17thB90063402
18thA8302201
19thA8372302
20thB8622300

Towns in Highland: crashes in 2020

Inverness had the most collisions of any town in Highland in 2020: 18.

Postcode districts in Highland: crashes in 2020

IV2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Highland in 2020: 27.

Latest crashes in Highland in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Highland in 2020, 2 were fatal and 12 were serious. The last was on 28 December 2020.

Severity

Highland road accidents in other years