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CrashStats

Orkney Islands road accidents in 2019: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 24 road traffic collisions in the Orkney Islands in 2019, and 28 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 5 were serious.

Collisions were up 71% on 2018 (14), and casualties rose from 20.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 1,401 collisions in the Orkney Islands.

Collisions in 2019
24
Up 71% on 2018
Casualties in 2019
28
Up 40% on 2018
Fatal collisions
2
8.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
5
21% of collisions

Crash severity in the Orkney Islands in 2019

8.3% of collisions in the Orkney Islands in 2019 were fatal and 21% serious, against 5.4% and 32% in the Orkney Islands from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal28.3%
  • Serious521%
  • Slight1771%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal27.1%
  • Serious621%
  • Slight2071%

Orkney Islands road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Orkney Islands, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 51 in 1980. 2019 is highlighted, with 24, up 71% on 2018.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2019: 24
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202589
20241318
20231013
20221117
20211316
2020910
20192428
20181420
20171114
20162528
20151215
20142429
20132330
20121624
20111326
20102738
20092735
20083644
20072737
20064054
20054054
20043447
20033244
20024063
20013345
20002332
19994376
19984156
19973758
19963746
19954256
19943145
19934056
19923644
19913950
19903139
19894461
19882534
19873555
19863852
19854769
19843762
19833751
19824260
19814255
19805175
19794165

When and where crashes happen in the Orkney Islands in 2019

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday5 (21%)
  • Tuesday3 (13%)
  • Thursday2 (8.3%)
  • Friday3 (13%)
  • Saturday5 (21%)
  • Sunday6 (25%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:592 (8.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:591 (4.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:590 (0%)
  • 09:00 to 11:595 (21%)
  • 12:00 to 14:593 (13%)
  • 15:00 to 17:596 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:596 (25%)
  • 21:00 to 23:591 (4.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January3 (13%)
  • February3 (13%)
  • March3 (13%)
  • April1 (4.2%)
  • June3 (13%)
  • July6 (25%)
  • August1 (4.2%)
  • September2 (8.3%)
  • December2 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight16 (67%)
  • Dark, no street lighting8 (33%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds17 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds5 (21%)
  • Fog or mist1 (4.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (4.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry12 (50%)
  • Wet or damp8 (33%)
  • Frost or ice3 (13%)
  • Snow1 (4.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (4.2%)
  • 30 mph2 (8.3%)
  • 40 mph1 (4.2%)
  • 60 mph20 (83%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway23 (96%)
  • Not recorded1 (4.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2019

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant22 (79%)
  • Pedestrian2 (7.1%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (3.6%)
  • Cyclist1 (3.6%)
  • Motorcyclist1 (3.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (3.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 6 to 101 (3.6%)
  • 11 to 151 (3.6%)
  • 16 to 203 (11%)
  • 21 to 252 (7.1%)
  • 26 to 352 (7.1%)
  • 36 to 455 (18%)
  • 46 to 556 (21%)
  • 56 to 656 (21%)
  • 66 to 751 (3.6%)
  • Over 751 (3.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider24 (86%)
  • Passenger2 (7.1%)
  • Pedestrian2 (7.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car29 (81%)
  • Agricultural vehicle2 (5.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes2 (5.6%)
  • Motorcycle1 (2.8%)
  • Pedal cycle1 (2.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (2.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Orkney Islands in 2019

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2019 and the 1 busiest accident hotspot in the Orkney Islands

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspot

How the Orkney Islands ranked among 351 areas in 2019

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Orkney Islands had fewer road collisions than 348 of them in 2019.

Collisions
349th
of 351 areas, highest first
Casualties
349th
of 351 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
235th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
349th
of 351 areas, highest first

Accident hotspots in the Orkney Islands in 2019

Kirkwall East, Orkney Islands, KW15 1JN area was the busiest accident hotspot in the Orkney Islands in 2019, with 3 collisions.

Roads in the Orkney Islands with the most crashes in 2019

The A965 had the most collisions in the Orkney Islands in 2019: 5, including 2 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Orkney Islands, 2019
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA9655702
2ndA9603401
3rdA9612200
4thA9632200
5thA9672200
6thA9641210
7thA9861100

Towns in the Orkney Islands: crashes in 2019

Kirkwall had 3 collisions in 2019.

Postcode districts in the Orkney Islands: crashes in 2019

KW16 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Orkney Islands in 2019: 9.

Latest crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2019

Of the 24 crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2019, 2 were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 23 December 2019.

Severity

Orkney Islands road accidents in other years