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CrashStats

Shetland Islands road accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 866 road traffic collisions in the Shetland Islands from 1979 to 2025, and 1,246 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 39 were fatal and 186 were serious.

In 2025 police recorded 8 collisions, down 33% on 2024 (12), and casualties fell from 13 to 11.

Collisions, 1979 to 2025
866
2nd lowest of 351 areas
Casualties
1,246
1.44 per collision
Fatal collisions
39
4.5% of collisions
Collisions in 2025
8
Down 33% on 2024

Crash severity in the Shetland Islands

4.5% of collisions in the Shetland Islands from 1979 to 2025 were fatal and 21% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal394.5%
  • Serious18621%
  • Slight64174%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal413.3%
  • Serious23719%
  • Slight96878%

Shetland Islands road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Shetland Islands, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 56 in 1998. In 2025 there were 8, down 33% on 2024.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 8
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025811
20241213
20231824
202269
2021810
20201112
20192126
20181419
20171623
20162637
20152533
20142429
20132547
20122737
20113246
20103055
20094272
20082024
20074151
20064561
20054671
20043647
20033149
20022840
20013250
20003548
19994467
19985686
19975479
19963749
199511
199400
199300
199200
199111
199011
198911
198800
198722
198624
198522
198422
198312
198200
198100
198035
197900

When and where crashes happen in the Shetland Islands

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday101 (12%)
  • Tuesday128 (15%)
  • Wednesday109 (13%)
  • Thursday126 (15%)
  • Friday144 (17%)
  • Saturday137 (16%)
  • Sunday121 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5966 (7.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5934 (3.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59119 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59108 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59143 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59185 (21%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59114 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5997 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January69 (8%)
  • February63 (7.3%)
  • March53 (6.1%)
  • April59 (6.8%)
  • May68 (7.9%)
  • June77 (8.9%)
  • July74 (8.5%)
  • August83 (9.6%)
  • September65 (7.5%)
  • October66 (7.6%)
  • November92 (11%)
  • December97 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight561 (65%)
  • Dark, no street lighting196 (23%)
  • Dark, street lights lit75 (8.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown22 (2.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit12 (1.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds501 (58%)
  • Raining, no high winds114 (13%)
  • Raining with high winds65 (7.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds41 (4.7%)
  • Fine with high winds39 (4.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds32 (3.7%)
  • Fog or mist24 (2.8%)
  • Other38 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded12 (1.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry426 (49%)
  • Wet or damp313 (36%)
  • Frost or ice61 (7%)
  • Snow60 (6.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)
  • Oil or diesel2 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph6 (0.7%)
  • 30 mph221 (26%)
  • 40 mph36 (4.2%)
  • 50 mph19 (2.2%)
  • 60 mph584 (67%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway786 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway34 (3.9%)
  • One way street or slip road13 (1.5%)
  • Roundabout13 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded20 (2.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who is hurt in road crashes in the Shetland Islands

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant918 (74%)
  • Pedestrian119 (9.6%)
  • Motorcyclist83 (6.7%)
  • Cyclist38 (3%)
  • Van occupant32 (2.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant16 (1.3%)
  • Minibus occupant13 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant13 (1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant7 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 520 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 1028 (2.2%)
  • 11 to 1549 (3.9%)
  • 16 to 20291 (23%)
  • 21 to 25147 (12%)
  • 26 to 35211 (17%)
  • 36 to 45167 (13%)
  • 46 to 55143 (11%)
  • 56 to 6591 (7.3%)
  • 66 to 7550 (4%)
  • Over 7538 (3%)
  • Not recorded11 (0.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider767 (62%)
  • Passenger360 (29%)
  • Pedestrian119 (9.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car989 (78%)
  • Motorcycle77 (6.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes70 (5.5%)
  • Pedal cycle38 (3%)
  • Other vehicle22 (1.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car22 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes20 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach11 (0.9%)
  • Minibus7 (0.6%)
  • Agricultural vehicle5 (0.4%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes and hotspots in the Shetland Islands

Map of the 24 most recent crashes and the 1 busiest accident hotspot in the Shetland Islands

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspot

How the Shetland Islands ranks among 351 areas

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Shetland Islands had the 2nd fewest road collisions from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions
2nd
lowest of 351 areas
Casualties
2nd
lowest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
3rd
lowest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
2nd
lowest of 351 areas
Areas ranked by collisions, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
345thOadby and Wigston5,2486,48060719
346thClackmannanshire4,0665,3171311,208
347thHeathrow Airport2,9933,65216331
348thNa h-Eileanan Siar2,2373,255100774
349thOrkney Islands1,4011,95575455
350thShetland Islands (this area)8661,24639186
351stIsles of Scilly6771012

Accident hotspots in the Shetland Islands

Lerwick North and Bressay, Shetland Islands, ZE1 0LA area is the busiest accident hotspot in the Shetland Islands, with 87 collisions from 2001 to 2025, 12 of them serious.

Roads in the Shetland Islands with the most crashes

The A970 had the most collisions in the Shetland Islands from 1979 to 2025: 411, including 21 fatal and 91 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Shetland Islands, 1979 to 2025
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA9704116202191
2ndA9686489614
3rdA9716499115
4thA969404804
5thB9074304327
6thB9076162604
7thB9071121923
8thA6961100
9thB8171101
10thB90801300
11thB9691100
12thB9741101

Towns in the Shetland Islands

Lerwick had 179 collisions from 1979 to 2025.

Postcode districts in the Shetland Islands

ZE2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Shetland Islands from 1979 to 2025: 541.

Latest crashes in the Shetland Islands

Of the latest 24 crashes in the Shetland Islands, 2 were fatal and 10 were serious. The most recent was on 11 December 2025.

Severity