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CrashStats

Shetland Islands road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 18 road traffic collisions in the Shetland Islands in 2023, and 24 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 7 were serious.

Collisions were up 200% on 2022 (6), and casualties rose from 9.

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

Collisions in 2023
18
Up 200% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
24
Up 167% on 2022
Fatal collisions
2
11% of collisions
Serious collisions
7
39% of collisions

Crash severity in the Shetland Islands in 2023

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal211%
  • Serious739%
  • Slight950%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal28.3%
  • Serious938%
  • Slight1354%

Shetland Islands road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Shetland Islands, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 56 in 1998. 2023 is highlighted, with 18, up 200% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 18
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday2 (11%)
  • Tuesday8 (44%)
  • Wednesday2 (11%)
  • Thursday1 (5.6%)
  • Friday2 (11%)
  • Saturday1 (5.6%)
  • Sunday2 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:592 (11%)
  • 03:00 to 05:590 (0%)
  • 06:00 to 08:591 (5.6%)
  • 09:00 to 11:591 (5.6%)
  • 12:00 to 14:592 (11%)
  • 15:00 to 17:597 (39%)
  • 18:00 to 20:592 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:593 (17%)

Collisions by month

  • January1 (5.6%)
  • March1 (5.6%)
  • May1 (5.6%)
  • June3 (17%)
  • July2 (11%)
  • August3 (17%)
  • October1 (5.6%)
  • December6 (33%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight10 (56%)
  • Dark, no street lighting5 (28%)
  • Dark, street lights lit3 (17%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds12 (67%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (11%)
  • Raining, no high winds1 (5.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (5.6%)
  • Other2 (11%)

Road surface

  • Dry10 (56%)
  • Wet or damp4 (22%)
  • Frost or ice3 (17%)
  • Snow1 (5.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (5.6%)
  • 30 mph4 (22%)
  • 40 mph3 (17%)
  • 50 mph1 (5.6%)
  • 60 mph9 (50%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway17 (94%)
  • Not recorded1 (5.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant16 (67%)
  • Pedestrian4 (17%)
  • Cyclist2 (8.3%)
  • Van occupant2 (8.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 6 to 101 (4.2%)
  • 16 to 202 (8.3%)
  • 21 to 252 (8.3%)
  • 26 to 356 (25%)
  • 36 to 453 (13%)
  • 46 to 553 (13%)
  • 56 to 655 (21%)
  • 66 to 751 (4.2%)
  • Over 751 (4.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider17 (71%)
  • Pedestrian4 (17%)
  • Passenger3 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car26 (87%)
  • Pedal cycle2 (6.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes2 (6.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Shetland Islands in 2023

Map of the last 18 crashes of 2023 in the Shetland Islands

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

  • 18 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How the Shetland Islands ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Shetland Islands had fewer road collisions than 347 of them in 2023.

Collisions
348th
of 351 areas, highest first
Casualties
348th
of 351 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
227th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
343rd
of 351 areas, highest first

Roads in the Shetland Islands with the most crashes in 2023

The A970 had the most collisions in the Shetland Islands in 2023: 9, including 5 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Shetland Islands, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA97091305
2ndA9713411

Towns in the Shetland Islands: crashes in 2023

Lerwick had 3 collisions in 2023.

Postcode districts in the Shetland Islands: crashes in 2023

ZE2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Shetland Islands in 2023: 11.

Latest crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2023

Of the 18 crashes in the Shetland Islands in 2023, 2 were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 25 December 2023.

Severity

Shetland Islands road accidents in other years