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CrashStats

Scottish Borders road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 102 road traffic collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2021, and 140 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 46 were serious.

Collisions were up 23% on 2020 (83), and casualties rose from 108.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 16,598 collisions in the Scottish Borders.

Collisions in 2021
102
Up 23% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
140
Up 30% on 2020
Fatal collisions
8
7.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
46
45% of collisions

Crash severity in the Scottish Borders in 2021

7.8% of collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2021 were fatal and 45% serious, against 3.4% and 28% in the Scottish Borders from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal87.8%
  • Serious4645%
  • Slight4847%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal85.7%
  • Serious5640%
  • Slight7654%

Scottish Borders road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Scottish Borders, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 579 in 1989. 2021 is highlighted, with 102, up 23% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 102
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202574112
202487141
2023107156
202294137
2021102140
202083108
2019145218
2018173239
2017186275
2016202302
2015220293
2014221295
2013257335
2012263370
2011275369
2010307398
2009363505
2008385533
2007334453
2006371510
2005447642
2004453640
2003442630
2002449630
2001412580
2000417609
1999368526
1998451643
1997396565
1996453649
1995431621
1994441646
1993472662
1992489756
1991467694
1990497709
1989579867
1988478686
1987471731
1986458649
1985439628
1984427583
1983439653
1982503698
1981497724
1980454706
1979519734

When and where crashes happen in the Scottish Borders in 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday17 (17%)
  • Tuesday15 (15%)
  • Wednesday9 (8.8%)
  • Thursday12 (12%)
  • Friday9 (8.8%)
  • Saturday22 (22%)
  • Sunday18 (18%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:592 (2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:590 (0%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5911 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5919 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5927 (26%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5924 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:599 (8.8%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5910 (9.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January5 (4.9%)
  • February3 (2.9%)
  • March5 (4.9%)
  • April8 (7.8%)
  • May6 (5.9%)
  • June15 (15%)
  • July7 (6.9%)
  • August14 (14%)
  • September14 (14%)
  • October7 (6.9%)
  • November9 (8.8%)
  • December9 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight81 (79%)
  • Dark, no street lighting14 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit6 (5.9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds80 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds14 (14%)
  • Snowing, no high winds4 (3.9%)
  • Fine with high winds1 (1%)
  • Fog or mist1 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (1%)
  • Not recorded1 (1%)

Road surface

  • Dry73 (72%)
  • Wet or damp22 (22%)
  • Snow4 (3.9%)
  • Frost or ice2 (2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph18 (18%)
  • 30 mph2 (2%)
  • 40 mph3 (2.9%)
  • 50 mph3 (2.9%)
  • 60 mph75 (74%)
  • 70 mph1 (1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway97 (95%)
  • Dual carriageway2 (2%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (1%)
  • Roundabout1 (1%)
  • Not recorded1 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant76 (54%)
  • Motorcyclist31 (22%)
  • Pedestrian12 (8.6%)
  • Van occupant11 (7.9%)
  • Cyclist5 (3.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (2.1%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (0.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant1 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 53 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 102 (1.4%)
  • 11 to 152 (1.4%)
  • 16 to 2012 (8.6%)
  • 21 to 258 (5.7%)
  • 26 to 3521 (15%)
  • 36 to 4514 (10%)
  • 46 to 5535 (25%)
  • 56 to 6527 (19%)
  • 66 to 757 (5%)
  • Over 759 (6.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider102 (73%)
  • Passenger26 (19%)
  • Pedestrian12 (8.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car103 (58%)
  • Motorcycle33 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes16 (9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (4%)
  • Bus or coach5 (2.8%)
  • Pedal cycle5 (2.8%)
  • Other vehicle3 (1.7%)
  • Agricultural vehicle2 (1.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (1.1%)
  • Minibus1 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Scottish Borders in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 and the 6 busiest accident hotspots in the Scottish Borders

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (6)

How the Scottish Borders ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Scottish Borders had fewer road collisions than 302 of them in 2021.

Collisions
303rd
of 350 areas, highest first
Casualties
294th
of 350 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
39th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
191st
of 350 areas, highest first

Accident hotspots in the Scottish Borders in 2021

Galashiels and District, Scottish Borders, TD1 1ER area, Hawick and Denholm, Scottish Borders, TD9 8BT area and Selkirkshire, Scottish Borders, TD7 4LB area were among the busiest accident hotspots in the Scottish Borders in 2021, with 2 collisions each.

Roads in the Scottish Borders with the most crashes in 2021

The A68 had the most collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2021: 11, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Scottish Borders, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA68112009
2ndA7101316
3rdA6987904
4thA70871104
5thA726601
6thA61055501
7thA14701
8thA7074421
9thB63574622
10thA60893703
11thA7013301
12thA60912420
13thA6972302
14thA6992210
15thA7032501
16thB64372401
17thB64602301
18thB7092201
19thA11071101
20thA60881100

Towns in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 2021

Selkirk had the most collisions of any town in the Scottish Borders in 2021: 4.

Postcode districts in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 2021

TD7 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Scottish Borders in 2021: 18.

Latest crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2021, 2 were fatal and 10 were serious. The last was on 28 December 2021.

Severity

Scottish Borders road accidents in other years