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CrashStats

Shetland Islands road accidents in 2019: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 21 road traffic collisions in the Shetland Islands in 2019, and 26 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious.

Collisions were up 50% on 2018 (14), and casualties rose from 19.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 866 collisions in the Shetland Islands.

Collisions in 2019
21
Up 50% on 2018
Casualties in 2019
26
Up 37% on 2018
Fatal collisions
1
4.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
6
29% of collisions

Crash severity in the Shetland Islands in 2019

4.8% of collisions in the Shetland Islands in 2019 were fatal and 29% serious, against 4.5% and 21% in the Shetland Islands from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal14.8%
  • Serious629%
  • Slight1467%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal13.8%
  • Serious623%
  • Slight1973%

Shetland Islands road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Shetland Islands, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 56 in 1998. 2019 is highlighted, with 21, up 50% on 2018.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2019: 21
  • 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 in 2019

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday5 (24%)
  • Tuesday2 (9.5%)
  • Wednesday2 (9.5%)
  • Thursday3 (14%)
  • Friday5 (24%)
  • Saturday3 (14%)
  • Sunday1 (4.8%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:590 (0%)
  • 03:00 to 05:590 (0%)
  • 06:00 to 08:593 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:592 (9.5%)
  • 12:00 to 14:596 (29%)
  • 15:00 to 17:593 (14%)
  • 18:00 to 20:591 (4.8%)
  • 21:00 to 23:596 (29%)

Collisions by month

  • January2 (9.5%)
  • February4 (19%)
  • April1 (4.8%)
  • May2 (9.5%)
  • June3 (14%)
  • July1 (4.8%)
  • August1 (4.8%)
  • September2 (9.5%)
  • November3 (14%)
  • December2 (9.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight13 (62%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (29%)
  • Dark, street lights lit2 (9.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds13 (62%)
  • Raining, no high winds4 (19%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (14%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (4.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry12 (57%)
  • Wet or damp7 (33%)
  • Frost or ice1 (4.8%)
  • Snow1 (4.8%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (4.8%)
  • 30 mph8 (38%)
  • 60 mph12 (57%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway19 (90%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (4.8%)
  • Roundabout1 (4.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2019

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant18 (69%)
  • Van occupant4 (15%)
  • Pedestrian3 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist1 (3.8%)

Casualties by age

  • 6 to 101 (3.8%)
  • 16 to 201 (3.8%)
  • 21 to 255 (19%)
  • 26 to 356 (23%)
  • 36 to 454 (15%)
  • 46 to 554 (15%)
  • 56 to 653 (12%)
  • 66 to 751 (3.8%)
  • Over 751 (3.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider18 (69%)
  • Passenger5 (19%)
  • Pedestrian3 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car23 (79%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes5 (17%)
  • Motorcycle1 (3.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Shetland Islands in 2019

Map of the last 21 crashes of 2019 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.

  • 21 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspot

How the Shetland Islands ranked among 351 areas in 2019

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Shetland Islands had fewer road collisions than 349 of them in 2019.

Collisions
350th
of 351 areas, highest first
Casualties
350th
of 351 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
295th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
347th
of 351 areas, highest first

Accident hotspots in the Shetland Islands in 2019

Lerwick North and Bressay, Shetland Islands, ZE1 0LA area was the busiest accident hotspot in the Shetland Islands in 2019, with 3 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in the Shetland Islands with the most crashes in 2019

The A970 had the most collisions in the Shetland Islands in 2019: 11, including 4 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Shetland Islands, 2019
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA970111304
2ndA9711200
3rdB90711100

Towns in the Shetland Islands: crashes in 2019

Lerwick had 5 collisions in 2019.

Postcode districts in the Shetland Islands: crashes in 2019

ZE2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Shetland Islands in 2019: 14.

Latest crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2019

Of the 21 crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2019, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 20 December 2019.

Severity

Shetland Islands road accidents in other years