Skip to main content
CrashStats

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 172 road traffic collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023, and 253 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 22 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 2022 (176), and casualties rose from 242.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 18,868 collisions in Somerset West and Taunton.

District council until April 2023, now part of Somerset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 2023
172
Down 2% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
253
Up 5% on 2022
Fatal collisions
3
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
22
13% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

1.7% of collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023 were fatal and 13% serious, against 2.1% and 19% in Somerset West and Taunton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal31.7%
  • Serious2213%
  • Slight14785%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal41.6%
  • Serious259.9%
  • Slight22489%

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset West and Taunton, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 542 in 2001. 2023 is highlighted, with 172, down 2% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025212297
2024217303
2023172253
2022176242
2021194273
2020131168
2019278373
2018263369
2017298458
2016299443
2015268373
2014323434
2013325447
2012275383
2011339525
2010363497
2009367538
2008437619
2007483677
2006504706
2005518731
2004479621
2003481649
2002490671
2001542735
2000529721
1999453623
1998500665
1997466633
1996454606
1995456647
1994465636
1993395547
1992474632
1991434587
1990479594
1989465617
1988502653
1987493651
1986456618
1985476632
1984514712
1983498658
1982466638
1981531674
1980453626
1979475637

When and where crashes happen in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday25 (15%)
  • Tuesday24 (14%)
  • Wednesday26 (15%)
  • Thursday23 (13%)
  • Friday30 (17%)
  • Saturday31 (18%)
  • Sunday13 (7.6%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (3.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (3.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5916 (9.3%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5932 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5925 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5942 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5928 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5917 (9.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January20 (12%)
  • February5 (2.9%)
  • March16 (9.3%)
  • April14 (8.1%)
  • May11 (6.4%)
  • June21 (12%)
  • July14 (8.1%)
  • August18 (10%)
  • September17 (9.9%)
  • October11 (6.4%)
  • November11 (6.4%)
  • December14 (8.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight123 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit22 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting21 (12%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown6 (3.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds133 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds21 (12%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (1.7%)
  • Fine with high winds1 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.6%)
  • Other2 (1.2%)
  • Not recorded11 (6.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry116 (67%)
  • Wet or damp46 (27%)
  • Frost or ice7 (4.1%)
  • Snow1 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded2 (1.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph8 (4.7%)
  • 30 mph79 (46%)
  • 40 mph23 (13%)
  • 50 mph12 (7%)
  • 60 mph45 (26%)
  • 70 mph5 (2.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway144 (84%)
  • Dual carriageway13 (7.6%)
  • Roundabout13 (7.6%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant178 (70%)
  • Motorcyclist23 (9.1%)
  • Pedestrian20 (7.9%)
  • Cyclist17 (6.7%)
  • Van occupant7 (2.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (1.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.8%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant1 (0.4%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 57 (2.8%)
  • 6 to 103 (1.2%)
  • 11 to 156 (2.4%)
  • 16 to 2040 (16%)
  • 21 to 2532 (13%)
  • 26 to 3535 (14%)
  • 36 to 4535 (14%)
  • 46 to 5526 (10%)
  • 56 to 6531 (12%)
  • 66 to 7520 (7.9%)
  • Over 7514 (5.5%)
  • Not recorded4 (1.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider165 (65%)
  • Passenger68 (27%)
  • Pedestrian20 (7.9%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car239 (76%)
  • Motorcycle23 (7.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes22 (7%)
  • Pedal cycle18 (5.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (2.2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle2 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach1 (0.3%)
  • Mobility scooter1 (0.3%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Somerset West and Taunton

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

Accident hotspots in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

Taunton East, Somerset, TA1 1QY area was the busiest accident hotspot in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023, with 17 collisions, 3 of them serious.

Roads in Somerset West and Taunton with the most crashes in 2023

The A358 had the most collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023: 25, including 1 fatal and 2 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset West and Taunton, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA358254112
2ndA38212902
3rdA3981604
4thA30385500
5thA3615800
6thM55802
7thA32594801
8thB31874700
9thB31703302
10thB32243500
11thB32273300
12thA30272200
13thA30652300
14thA3782400
15thB31882300
16thB32232300
17thB31911100

Towns in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 2023

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023: 50.

Postcode districts in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 2023

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023: 47.

Somerset and its former districts in 2023

Somerset recorded 791 collisions in 2023, and 22% of them were in the old Somerset West and Taunton district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 2023, 1 was fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in other years