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CrashStats

Preston road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 270 road traffic collisions in Preston in 2020, and 370 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, none were fatal and 70 were serious.

Collisions were down 25% on 2019 (362), and casualties fell from 494.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 28,414 collisions in Preston.

Collisions in 2020
270
Down 25% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
370
Down 25% on 2019
Fatal collisions
0
0% of collisions
Serious collisions
70
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Preston in 2020

None of the collisions in Preston in 2020 were fatal and 26% were serious, against 1.1% and 18% in Preston from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal00%
  • Serious7026%
  • Slight20074%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal00%
  • Serious7621%
  • Slight29479%

Preston road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Preston, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 888 in 1997. 2020 is highlighted, with 270, down 25% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 270
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025346453
2024343465
2023363515
2022333449
2021319458
2020270370
2019362494
2018409560
2017378518
2016394548
2015386575
2014464642
2013378503
2012469638
2011489676
2010529774
2009636892
2008657936
20077261,008
20067621,112
20057211,019
20047141,013
2003706974
20027361,111
20018551,275
20007971,215
19996671,019
19987051,016
19978881,288
19968201,179
19957881,138
19948531,188
19937451,053
1992718950
19917541,008
19907611,035
1989664890
1988632824
1987622802
1986665860
1985633855
1984681858
1983627762
1982653805
1981642841
1980669821
1979685879

When and where crashes happen in Preston in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday39 (14%)
  • Tuesday31 (11%)
  • Wednesday40 (15%)
  • Thursday51 (19%)
  • Friday49 (18%)
  • Saturday29 (11%)
  • Sunday31 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:599 (3.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (2.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5934 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5947 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5944 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5966 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5948 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5916 (5.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January32 (12%)
  • February30 (11%)
  • March27 (10%)
  • April8 (3%)
  • May25 (9.3%)
  • June12 (4.4%)
  • July23 (8.5%)
  • August24 (8.9%)
  • September26 (9.6%)
  • October23 (8.5%)
  • November18 (6.7%)
  • December22 (8.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight187 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit72 (27%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (2.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (1.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds201 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds36 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (3%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (2.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (1.1%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.4%)
  • Other7 (2.6%)
  • Not recorded7 (2.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry175 (65%)
  • Wet or damp91 (34%)
  • Snow3 (1.1%)
  • Frost or ice1 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph35 (13%)
  • 30 mph189 (70%)
  • 40 mph21 (7.8%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.7%)
  • 60 mph4 (1.5%)
  • 70 mph19 (7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway198 (73%)
  • Dual carriageway52 (19%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (3.3%)
  • Roundabout9 (3.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Preston in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant236 (64%)
  • Pedestrian48 (13%)
  • Cyclist45 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist19 (5.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (1.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (weight unknown)5 (1.4%)
  • Van occupant4 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter rider2 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Other1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (2.2%)
  • 6 to 109 (2.4%)
  • 11 to 1520 (5.4%)
  • 16 to 2032 (8.6%)
  • 21 to 2539 (11%)
  • 26 to 3566 (18%)
  • 36 to 4566 (18%)
  • 46 to 5551 (14%)
  • 56 to 6538 (10%)
  • 66 to 7517 (4.6%)
  • Over 7517 (4.6%)
  • Not recorded7 (1.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider238 (64%)
  • Passenger84 (23%)
  • Pedestrian48 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car389 (76%)
  • Pedal cycle47 (9.2%)
  • Motorcycle22 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown19 (3.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes13 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes10 (2%)
  • Bus or coach5 (1%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.6%)
  • Mobility scooter2 (0.4%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Preston in 2020

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

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Preston ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Preston had the 105th most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
105th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
99th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
None
joint lowest with 29 other areas
Serious collisions
80th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Preston in 2020

City Centre, Preston, PR1 1FB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Preston in 2020, with 36 collisions, 8 of them serious.

Roads in Preston with the most crashes in 2020

The A6 had the most collisions in Preston in 2020: 30, including 5 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Preston, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6304005
2ndA5085202908
3rdA59162107
4thB6241152102
5thB6243121605
6thM6121702
7thB526991502
8thM5571602
9thA50726701
10thA5835902
11thB54114801
12thB62424401
13thA60633602
14thA12201
15thA50712301
16thA5821201
17thB11200
18thB52541100

Towns in Preston: crashes in 2020

Preston, Preston had the most collisions of any town in Preston in 2020: 175.

Postcode districts in Preston: crashes in 2020

PR2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Preston in 2020: 127.

Latest crashes in Preston in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Preston in 2020, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 29 December 2020.

Severity

Preston road accidents in other years