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CrashStats

Plymouth road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 381 road traffic collisions in Plymouth in 2020, and 470 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 73 were serious.

Collisions were down 21% on 2019 (483), and casualties fell from 610.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 39,632 collisions in Plymouth.

Collisions in 2020
381
Down 21% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
470
Down 23% on 2019
Fatal collisions
3
0.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
73
19% of collisions

Crash severity in Plymouth in 2020

0.8% of collisions in Plymouth in 2020 were fatal and 19% serious, against 0.9% and 19% in Plymouth from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal30.8%
  • Serious7319%
  • Slight30580%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal30.6%
  • Serious7917%
  • Slight38883%

Plymouth road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Plymouth, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,231 in 1984. 2020 is highlighted, with 381, down 21% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 381
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025420503
2024423523
2023394474
2022371470
2021395488
2020381470
2019483610
2018465598
2017546722
2016538698
2015619804
2014598792
2013633830
2012587736
2011706916
2010716919
2009680885
2008722890
20079071,122
20069041,121
20058791,076
20049401,152
20039301,119
20029421,138
20019541,157
20009581,181
19999721,211
19981,0221,252
19971,0541,356
19961,0701,360
19951,0421,282
19941,0091,229
19931,0931,265
19921,0571,283
19911,0691,286
19901,1511,439
19899991,214
19881,1141,336
19871,0571,306
19861,1321,421
19851,1491,379
19841,2311,485
19831,1911,477
19821,0731,388
19819881,226
19801,0001,255
19791,0681,353

When and where crashes happen in Plymouth in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday48 (13%)
  • Tuesday51 (13%)
  • Wednesday63 (17%)
  • Thursday52 (14%)
  • Friday72 (19%)
  • Saturday45 (12%)
  • Sunday50 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (1.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5945 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5951 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5981 (21%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5996 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5965 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5930 (7.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January38 (10%)
  • February35 (9.2%)
  • March35 (9.2%)
  • April10 (2.6%)
  • May18 (4.7%)
  • June29 (7.6%)
  • July40 (10%)
  • August19 (5%)
  • September48 (13%)
  • October41 (11%)
  • November33 (8.7%)
  • December35 (9.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight285 (75%)
  • Dark, street lights lit84 (22%)
  • Dark, no street lighting9 (2.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.8%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds293 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds64 (17%)
  • Raining with high winds8 (2.1%)
  • Fine with high winds7 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Other6 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry249 (65%)
  • Wet or damp130 (34%)
  • Frost or ice2 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph328 (86%)
  • 40 mph33 (8.7%)
  • 60 mph2 (0.5%)
  • 70 mph18 (4.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway234 (61%)
  • Dual carriageway110 (29%)
  • Roundabout29 (7.6%)
  • One way street or slip road8 (2.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Plymouth in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant223 (47%)
  • Motorcyclist89 (19%)
  • Cyclist68 (14%)
  • Pedestrian63 (13%)
  • Van occupant12 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant8 (1.7%)
  • Mobility scooter rider3 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 510 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1010 (2.1%)
  • 11 to 1519 (4%)
  • 16 to 2065 (14%)
  • 21 to 2562 (13%)
  • 26 to 3582 (17%)
  • 36 to 4561 (13%)
  • 46 to 5563 (13%)
  • 56 to 6548 (10%)
  • 66 to 7515 (3.2%)
  • Over 7525 (5.3%)
  • Not recorded10 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider333 (71%)
  • Passenger74 (16%)
  • Pedestrian63 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car473 (65%)
  • Motorcycle93 (13%)
  • Pedal cycle69 (9.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes46 (6.4%)
  • Bus or coach11 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes11 (1.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car11 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle4 (0.6%)
  • Mobility scooter3 (0.4%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown2 (0.3%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Plymouth in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Plymouth

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Plymouth ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Plymouth had the 68th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
68th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
72nd
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
145th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
73rd
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Plymouth in 2020

St Peter and the Waterfront, Plymouth, PL1 1LU area was the busiest accident hotspot in Plymouth in 2020, with 35 collisions, 4 of them serious.

Roads in Plymouth with the most crashes in 2020

The A374 had the most collisions in Plymouth in 2020: 46, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Plymouth, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA374466709
2ndA386313702
3rdA38284317
4thB3250152103
5thA3064101202
6thB341391100
7thB32388801
8thB34168900
9thA3797800
10thB32147701
11thB33966601
12thB34324400
13thB32402200
14thB33732200
15thB34171101

Towns in Plymouth: crashes in 2020

Plymouth had 323 collisions in 2020.

Postcode districts in Plymouth: crashes in 2020

PL4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Plymouth in 2020: 76.

Latest crashes in Plymouth in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Plymouth in 2020, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 27 December 2020.

Severity

Plymouth road accidents in other years