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CrashStats

Preston road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 319 road traffic collisions in Preston in 2021, and 458 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 98 were serious.

Collisions were up 18% on 2020 (270), and casualties rose from 370.

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

Collisions in 2021
319
Up 18% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
458
Up 24% on 2020
Fatal collisions
2
0.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
98
31% of collisions

Crash severity in Preston in 2021

0.6% of collisions in Preston in 2021 were fatal and 31% serious, against 1.1% and 18% in Preston from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.6%
  • Serious9831%
  • Slight21969%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.4%
  • Serious10523%
  • Slight35177%

Preston road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Preston, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 888 in 1997. 2021 is highlighted, with 319, up 18% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 319
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday57 (18%)
  • Tuesday48 (15%)
  • Wednesday45 (14%)
  • Thursday45 (14%)
  • Friday54 (17%)
  • Saturday40 (13%)
  • Sunday30 (9.4%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5910 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5925 (7.8%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5949 (15%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5958 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5996 (30%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5947 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5930 (9.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January14 (4.4%)
  • February13 (4.1%)
  • March21 (6.6%)
  • April29 (9.1%)
  • May23 (7.2%)
  • June29 (9.1%)
  • July29 (9.1%)
  • August33 (10%)
  • September30 (9.4%)
  • October30 (9.4%)
  • November39 (12%)
  • December29 (9.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight223 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit74 (23%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown11 (3.4%)
  • Dark, no street lighting7 (2.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (1.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds238 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds47 (15%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (1.3%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Other14 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded13 (4.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry232 (73%)
  • Wet or damp87 (27%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph49 (15%)
  • 30 mph215 (67%)
  • 40 mph22 (6.9%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph5 (1.6%)
  • 70 mph27 (8.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway238 (75%)
  • Dual carriageway59 (18%)
  • Roundabout11 (3.4%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Preston in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant292 (64%)
  • Pedestrian75 (16%)
  • Cyclist38 (8.3%)
  • Motorcyclist23 (5%)
  • Van occupant12 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant10 (2.2%)
  • Mobility scooter rider2 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded5 (1.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 519 (4.1%)
  • 6 to 1020 (4.4%)
  • 11 to 1531 (6.8%)
  • 16 to 2044 (9.6%)
  • 21 to 2557 (12%)
  • 26 to 35100 (22%)
  • 36 to 4564 (14%)
  • 46 to 5539 (8.5%)
  • 56 to 6538 (8.3%)
  • 66 to 7526 (5.7%)
  • Over 7517 (3.7%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider262 (57%)
  • Passenger121 (26%)
  • Pedestrian75 (16%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car472 (79%)
  • Pedal cycle38 (6.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes33 (5.5%)
  • Motorcycle24 (4%)
  • Bus or coach11 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown7 (1.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes6 (1%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.5%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)3 (0.5%)
  • Minibus2 (0.3%)
  • Other2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Preston in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 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 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Preston had the 98th most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
98th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
84th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
212th
of 350 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
47th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Preston in 2021

City Centre, Preston, PR1 1FB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Preston in 2021, with 53 collisions, 15 of them serious.

Roads in Preston with the most crashes in 2021

The A6 had the most collisions in Preston in 2021: 29, including 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Preston, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6294108
2ndA5085172407
3rdA59173218
4thB6241172308
5thM6163204
6thA583141703
7thB6243131705
8thM55122303
9thA60637904
10thA50716901
11thA50723302
12thB54113501
13thA5822300
14thB52542301
15thB52692200
16thA11100

Towns in Preston: crashes in 2021

Preston, Preston had the most collisions of any town in Preston in 2021: 216.

Postcode districts in Preston: crashes in 2021

PR1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Preston in 2021: 152.

Latest crashes in Preston in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Preston in 2021, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2021.

Severity

Preston road accidents in other years