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CrashStats

Scottish Borders road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 107 road traffic collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2023, and 156 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 57 were serious.

Collisions were up 14% on 2022 (94), and casualties rose from 137.

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

Collisions in 2023
107
Up 14% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
156
Up 14% on 2022
Fatal collisions
5
4.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
57
53% of collisions

Crash severity in the Scottish Borders in 2023

4.7% of collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2023 were fatal and 53% serious, against 3.4% and 28% in the Scottish Borders from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal54.7%
  • Serious5753%
  • Slight4542%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal63.8%
  • Serious7246%
  • Slight7850%

Scottish Borders road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Scottish Borders, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 579 in 1989. 2023 is highlighted, with 107, up 14% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 107
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday19 (18%)
  • Tuesday21 (20%)
  • Wednesday16 (15%)
  • Thursday10 (9.3%)
  • Friday13 (12%)
  • Saturday15 (14%)
  • Sunday13 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:590 (0%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5919 (18%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5912 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5931 (29%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5926 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5911 (10%)
  • 21:00 to 23:596 (5.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January9 (8.4%)
  • February1 (0.9%)
  • March11 (10%)
  • April5 (4.7%)
  • May16 (15%)
  • June9 (8.4%)
  • July12 (11%)
  • August12 (11%)
  • September4 (3.7%)
  • October6 (5.6%)
  • November8 (7.5%)
  • December14 (13%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight84 (79%)
  • Dark, no street lighting17 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit6 (5.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds75 (70%)
  • Raining, no high winds18 (17%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (1.9%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.9%)
  • Other9 (8.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry57 (53%)
  • Wet or damp42 (39%)
  • Frost or ice6 (5.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.9%)
  • Snow1 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph15 (14%)
  • 30 mph4 (3.7%)
  • 40 mph5 (4.7%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.9%)
  • 60 mph82 (77%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway102 (95%)
  • Roundabout3 (2.8%)
  • Dual carriageway2 (1.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant99 (63%)
  • Motorcyclist19 (12%)
  • Pedestrian18 (12%)
  • Cyclist10 (6.4%)
  • Van occupant6 (3.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (1.3%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 56 (3.8%)
  • 6 to 104 (2.6%)
  • 11 to 156 (3.8%)
  • 16 to 2018 (12%)
  • 21 to 258 (5.1%)
  • 26 to 3516 (10%)
  • 36 to 4523 (15%)
  • 46 to 5518 (12%)
  • 56 to 6528 (18%)
  • 66 to 7527 (17%)
  • Over 752 (1.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider109 (70%)
  • Passenger29 (19%)
  • Pedestrian18 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car114 (69%)
  • Motorcycle17 (10%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes12 (7.2%)
  • Pedal cycle10 (6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (4.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (1.2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle1 (0.6%)
  • Minibus1 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle1 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Scottish Borders in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 and the 5 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 (5)

How the Scottish Borders ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Scottish Borders had fewer road collisions than 299 of them in 2023.

Collisions
300th
of 351 areas, highest first
Casualties
292nd
of 351 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
89th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
157th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in the Scottish Borders in 2023

Galashiels and District, Scottish Borders, TD1 1ER area was the busiest accident hotspot in the Scottish Borders in 2023, with 4 collisions, 3 of them serious.

Roads in the Scottish Borders with the most crashes in 2023

The A7 had the most collisions in the Scottish Borders in 2023: 12, including 2 fatal and 5 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Scottish Borders, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA7121725
2ndA6891708
3rdA610581004
4thA69881205
5thA14622
6thA6974502
7thA7014503
8thA7074601
9thA724901
10thA70331002
11thA7083402
12thB63743300
13thA11072301
14thA60882201
15thA60912201
16thB63552201
17thB63572301
18thB63602201
19thB64042211
20thB64382301

Towns in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 2023

Galashiels had the most collisions of any town in the Scottish Borders in 2023: 6.

Postcode districts in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 2023

TD1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Scottish Borders in 2023: 18.

Latest crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in the Scottish Borders in 2023, 2 were fatal and 11 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

Scottish Borders road accidents in other years