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CrashStats

New Forest road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 315 road traffic collisions in the New Forest in 2023, and 406 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 83 were serious.

Collisions were up 4% on 2022 (304), and casualties rose from 366.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 26,818 collisions in the New Forest.

Collisions in 2023
315
Up 4% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
406
Up 11% on 2022
Fatal collisions
5
1.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
83
26% of collisions

Crash severity in the New Forest in 2023

1.6% of collisions in the New Forest in 2023 were fatal and 26% serious, against 2% and 22% in the New Forest from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal51.6%
  • Serious8326%
  • Slight22772%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal51.2%
  • Serious9423%
  • Slight30776%

New Forest road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the New Forest, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 788 in 1997. 2023 is highlighted, with 315, up 4% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 315
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025337440
2024327399
2023315406
2022304366
2021305394
2020284358
2019310389
2018371486
2017384479
2016428558
2015425525
2014419561
2013463601
2012475610
2011506637
2010468635
2009484658
2008439599
2007527703
2006579765
2005639841
2004615836
2003707995
2002632906
2001617861
2000677926
1999705912
1998724997
19977881,086
19967011,004
1995662897
1994617840
1993660963
1992626853
1991661908
19907371,031
19897811,050
1988699937
1987732972
19867431,023
1985746986
19847741,065
1983724966
1982680944
1981698943
1980658875
1979665933

When and where crashes happen in the New Forest in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday46 (15%)
  • Tuesday53 (17%)
  • Wednesday52 (17%)
  • Thursday42 (13%)
  • Friday38 (12%)
  • Saturday50 (16%)
  • Sunday34 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:599 (2.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5941 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5949 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5947 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5996 (30%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5946 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5923 (7.3%)

Collisions by month

  • January27 (8.6%)
  • February18 (5.7%)
  • March25 (7.9%)
  • April22 (7%)
  • May31 (9.8%)
  • June22 (7%)
  • July27 (8.6%)
  • August41 (13%)
  • September28 (8.9%)
  • October23 (7.3%)
  • November31 (9.8%)
  • December20 (6.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight230 (73%)
  • Dark, no street lighting43 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit33 (10%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown7 (2.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds268 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds37 (12%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (1.9%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry222 (70%)
  • Wet or damp83 (26%)
  • Frost or ice6 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep3 (1%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph129 (41%)
  • 40 mph83 (26%)
  • 50 mph24 (7.6%)
  • 60 mph46 (15%)
  • 70 mph33 (10%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway259 (82%)
  • Dual carriageway44 (14%)
  • Roundabout7 (2.2%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (1.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the New Forest in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant252 (62%)
  • Cyclist42 (10%)
  • Motorcyclist41 (10%)
  • Pedestrian38 (9.4%)
  • Van occupant21 (5.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant4 (1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 55 (1.2%)
  • 6 to 1011 (2.7%)
  • 11 to 1515 (3.7%)
  • 16 to 2058 (14%)
  • 21 to 2549 (12%)
  • 26 to 3551 (13%)
  • 36 to 4540 (9.9%)
  • 46 to 5554 (13%)
  • 56 to 6555 (14%)
  • 66 to 7541 (10%)
  • Over 7527 (6.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider300 (74%)
  • Passenger68 (17%)
  • Pedestrian38 (9.4%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car394 (71%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes52 (9.4%)
  • Pedal cycle44 (7.9%)
  • Motorcycle41 (7.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes11 (2%)
  • Bus or coach5 (0.9%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)3 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.4%)
  • Agricultural vehicle1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the New Forest in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in the New Forest

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 the New Forest ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the New Forest had the 102nd most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
102nd
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
106th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
89th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
85th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in the New Forest in 2023

Milton, New Forest, BH25 6DY area was the busiest accident hotspot in the New Forest in 2023, with 17 collisions, 7 of them serious.

Roads in the New Forest with the most crashes in 2023

The A35 had the most collisions in the New Forest in 2023: 39, including 13 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the New Forest, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA353952013
2ndA337243218
3rdA31203214
4thA326192416
5thA36152201
6thM27141611
7thA338121303
8thB305581203
9thB30587802
10thB30786701
11thB30545501
12thB305651001
13thA3364400
14thB33474401
15thB30533302
16thB30793301

Towns in the New Forest: crashes in 2023

Totton had the most collisions of any town in the New Forest in 2023: 32.

Postcode districts in the New Forest: crashes in 2023

SO40 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the New Forest in 2023: 90.

Latest crashes in the New Forest in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in the New Forest in 2023, 1 was fatal and 1 was serious. The last was on 29 December 2023.

Severity

New Forest road accidents in other years