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CrashStats

Plymouth road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 395 road traffic collisions in Plymouth in 2021, and 488 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 56 were serious.

Collisions were up 4% on 2020 (381), and casualties rose from 470.

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

Collisions in 2021
395
Up 4% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
488
Up 4% on 2020
Fatal collisions
5
1.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
56
14% of collisions

Crash severity in Plymouth in 2021

1.3% of collisions in Plymouth in 2021 were fatal and 14% serious, against 0.9% and 19% in Plymouth from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal51.3%
  • Serious5614%
  • Slight33485%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal51%
  • Serious5812%
  • Slight42587%

Plymouth road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Plymouth, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,231 in 1984. 2021 is highlighted, with 395, up 4% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 395
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday63 (16%)
  • Tuesday54 (14%)
  • Wednesday52 (13%)
  • Thursday70 (18%)
  • Friday76 (19%)
  • Saturday47 (12%)
  • Sunday33 (8.4%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5915 (3.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5952 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5946 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5970 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59109 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5960 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5937 (9.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January21 (5.3%)
  • February20 (5.1%)
  • March36 (9.1%)
  • April33 (8.4%)
  • May42 (11%)
  • June30 (7.6%)
  • July36 (9.1%)
  • August26 (6.6%)
  • September34 (8.6%)
  • October43 (11%)
  • November30 (7.6%)
  • December44 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight274 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit113 (29%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.8%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2 (0.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds322 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds55 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.3%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.8%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Other6 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry288 (73%)
  • Wet or damp104 (26%)
  • Frost or ice3 (0.8%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph6 (1.5%)
  • 30 mph339 (86%)
  • 40 mph24 (6.1%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph3 (0.8%)
  • 70 mph22 (5.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway239 (61%)
  • Dual carriageway100 (25%)
  • Roundabout37 (9.4%)
  • One way street or slip road18 (4.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Plymouth in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant240 (49%)
  • Motorcyclist103 (21%)
  • Cyclist58 (12%)
  • Pedestrian55 (11%)
  • Van occupant15 (3.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (1.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.4%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user2 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 55 (1%)
  • 6 to 1015 (3.1%)
  • 11 to 1523 (4.7%)
  • 16 to 2074 (15%)
  • 21 to 2547 (9.6%)
  • 26 to 3597 (20%)
  • 36 to 4570 (14%)
  • 46 to 5572 (15%)
  • 56 to 6548 (9.8%)
  • 66 to 7517 (3.5%)
  • Over 7512 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded8 (1.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider358 (73%)
  • Passenger75 (15%)
  • Pedestrian55 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car528 (68%)
  • Motorcycle107 (14%)
  • Pedal cycle57 (7.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes56 (7.2%)
  • Bus or coach7 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (0.9%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)6 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Plymouth in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 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 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Plymouth had the 71st most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
71st
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
75th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
74th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
139th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Plymouth in 2021

St Peter and the Waterfront, Plymouth, PL1 1LU area was the busiest accident hotspot in Plymouth in 2021, with 54 collisions, 2 of them fatal.

Roads in Plymouth with the most crashes in 2021

The A374 had the most collisions in Plymouth in 2021: 36, including 1 fatal and 7 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Plymouth, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA374364417
2ndA386354206
3rdA38324324
4thB3250182103
5thB3416132102
6thA3064101403
7thB3396101300
8thB3413101101
9thB324091003
10thB343291201
11thA37981502
12thB32387801
13thB33737700
14thB32145510
15thB34171100

Towns in Plymouth: crashes in 2021

Plymouth had 341 collisions in 2021.

Postcode districts in Plymouth: crashes in 2021

PL4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Plymouth in 2021: 79.

Latest crashes in Plymouth in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Plymouth in 2021, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2021.

Severity

Plymouth road accidents in other years