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CrashStats

Orkney Islands road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 13 road traffic collisions in the Orkney Islands in 2021, and 16 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 4 were serious.

Collisions were up 44% on 2020 (9), and casualties rose from 10.

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

Collisions in 2021
13
Up 44% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
16
Up 60% on 2020
Fatal collisions
2
15% of collisions
Serious collisions
4
31% of collisions

Crash severity in the Orkney Islands in 2021

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal215%
  • Serious431%
  • Slight754%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal213%
  • Serious425%
  • Slight1063%

Orkney Islands road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Orkney Islands, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 51 in 1980. 2021 is highlighted, with 13, up 44% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 13
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Tuesday1 (7.7%)
  • Wednesday1 (7.7%)
  • Friday3 (23%)
  • Saturday6 (46%)
  • Sunday2 (15%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:591 (7.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:590 (0%)
  • 06:00 to 08:591 (7.7%)
  • 09:00 to 11:591 (7.7%)
  • 12:00 to 14:593 (23%)
  • 15:00 to 17:593 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:592 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:592 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • February1 (7.7%)
  • May3 (23%)
  • June2 (15%)
  • July2 (15%)
  • August2 (15%)
  • September1 (7.7%)
  • November2 (15%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight9 (69%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit2 (15%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds9 (69%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (7.7%)
  • Raining, no high winds1 (7.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (7.7%)
  • Other1 (7.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry8 (62%)
  • Wet or damp4 (31%)
  • Frost or ice1 (7.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph8 (62%)
  • 60 mph5 (38%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway13 (100%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant9 (56%)
  • Pedestrian6 (38%)
  • Motorcyclist1 (6.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 51 (6.3%)
  • 6 to 102 (13%)
  • 11 to 151 (6.3%)
  • 16 to 202 (13%)
  • 26 to 352 (13%)
  • 36 to 451 (6.3%)
  • 56 to 652 (13%)
  • 66 to 751 (6.3%)
  • Over 754 (25%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider9 (56%)
  • Pedestrian6 (38%)
  • Passenger1 (6.3%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car17 (85%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes2 (10%)
  • Motorcycle1 (5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Orkney Islands in 2021

Map of the last 13 crashes of 2021 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.

  • 13 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspot

How the Orkney Islands ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Orkney Islands had fewer road collisions than 347 of them in 2021.

Collisions
348th
of 350 areas, highest first
Casualties
348th
of 350 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
212th
of 350 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
348th
of 350 areas, highest first

Accident hotspots in the Orkney Islands in 2021

Kirkwall East, Orkney Islands, KW15 1JN area was the busiest accident hotspot in the Orkney Islands in 2021, with 6 collisions, 1 of them fatal.

Roads in the Orkney Islands with the most crashes in 2021

The A965 had the most collisions in the Orkney Islands in 2021: 2, including 1 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Orkney Islands, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA9652301
2ndA9601101
3rdA9631110
4thA9661310

Towns in the Orkney Islands: crashes in 2021

Kirkwall had 6 collisions in 2021.

Postcode districts in the Orkney Islands: crashes in 2021

KW15 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Orkney Islands in 2021: 7.

Latest crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2021

Of the 13 crashes in the Orkney Islands in 2021, 2 were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 27 November 2021.

Severity

Orkney Islands road accidents in other years