Skip to main content
CrashStats

Somerset road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 791 road traffic collisions in Somerset in 2023, and 1,172 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 23 were fatal and 143 were serious.

Collisions were up 7% on 2022 (739), and casualties rose from 1,030.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 70,092 collisions in Somerset.

Collisions in 2023
791
Up 7% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
1,172
Up 14% on 2022
Fatal collisions
23
2.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
143
18% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset in 2023

2.9% of collisions in Somerset in 2023 were fatal and 18% serious, against 2.5% and 20% in Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal232.9%
  • Serious14318%
  • Slight62579%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal272.3%
  • Serious18015%
  • Slight96582%

Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,888 in 2005. 2023 is highlighted, with 791, up 7% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20258561,148
20248641,215
20237911,172
20227391,030
2021735996
2020637834
20199941,384
20189731,377
20171,0001,464
20161,0531,552
20151,0221,455
20141,1621,623
20131,1571,608
20121,0751,529
20111,1521,652
20101,2721,792
20091,4142,019
20081,5602,228
20071,7552,479
20061,8372,549
20051,8882,637
20041,7572,448
20031,7592,452
20021,8842,593
20011,8572,650
20001,8662,709
19991,8192,514
19981,8802,656
19971,8392,550
19961,6952,370
19951,7372,485
19941,6972,398
19931,5302,155
19921,6462,313
19911,7242,411
19901,8712,540
19891,7862,477
19881,7892,480
19871,7262,377
19861,7522,383
19851,7192,365
19841,8022,459
19831,7662,414
19821,7982,483
19811,8332,531
19801,7932,502
19791,8312,569

When and where crashes happen in Somerset in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday111 (14%)
  • Tuesday112 (14%)
  • Wednesday122 (15%)
  • Thursday118 (15%)
  • Friday132 (17%)
  • Saturday122 (15%)
  • Sunday74 (9.4%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5925 (3.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5917 (2.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5986 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59130 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59155 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59190 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59126 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5962 (7.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January80 (10%)
  • February54 (6.8%)
  • March65 (8.2%)
  • April61 (7.7%)
  • May54 (6.8%)
  • June71 (9%)
  • July68 (8.6%)
  • August74 (9.4%)
  • September80 (10%)
  • October57 (7.2%)
  • November67 (8.5%)
  • December60 (7.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight590 (75%)
  • Dark, no street lighting96 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit74 (9.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown29 (3.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds603 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds108 (14%)
  • Raining with high winds11 (1.4%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (0.8%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other13 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded45 (5.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry519 (66%)
  • Wet or damp230 (29%)
  • Frost or ice28 (3.5%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)
  • Snow1 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded12 (1.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph40 (5.1%)
  • 30 mph338 (43%)
  • 40 mph93 (12%)
  • 50 mph45 (5.7%)
  • 60 mph241 (30%)
  • 70 mph34 (4.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway676 (85%)
  • Dual carriageway55 (7%)
  • Roundabout51 (6.4%)
  • One way street or slip road7 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant732 (62%)
  • Motorcyclist121 (10%)
  • Pedestrian112 (9.6%)
  • Cyclist73 (6.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant70 (6%)
  • Van occupant36 (3.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)12 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant6 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter rider3 (0.3%)
  • Horse rider2 (0.2%)
  • Other3 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 514 (1.2%)
  • 6 to 1022 (1.9%)
  • 11 to 1530 (2.6%)
  • 16 to 20157 (13%)
  • 21 to 25110 (9.4%)
  • 26 to 35210 (18%)
  • 36 to 45178 (15%)
  • 46 to 55160 (14%)
  • 56 to 65133 (11%)
  • 66 to 7579 (6.7%)
  • Over 7564 (5.5%)
  • Not recorded15 (1.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider782 (67%)
  • Passenger278 (24%)
  • Pedestrian112 (9.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,056 (73%)
  • Motorcycle123 (8.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes110 (7.6%)
  • Pedal cycle76 (5.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes45 (3.1%)
  • Agricultural vehicle11 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach7 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter4 (0.3%)
  • Minibus3 (0.2%)
  • Other9 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset in 2023

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

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Somerset ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Somerset had the 22nd most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
22nd
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
9th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
24th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Somerset in 2023

Bridgwater North & Central, Somerset, TA6 5AG area was the busiest accident hotspot in Somerset in 2023, with 19 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in Somerset with the most crashes in 2023

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset in 2023: 64, including 13 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA386486013
2ndA3954162113
3rdA303375227
4thA358355412
5thA361334542
6thM5263916
7thA37243004
8thA30192214
9thA371162426
10thB3139131913
11thA362121801
12thA35991305
13thA3691401
14thB314091401
15thB315191603
16thA308881100
17thA37281103
18thB313571412
19thA30385500
20thB30815502

Towns in Somerset: crashes in 2023

Bridgwater and Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset in 2023, with 50 each.

Postcode districts in Somerset: crashes in 2023

TA6 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset in 2023: 75.

Former districts in Somerset in 2023

Somerset now covers 6 former district councils, abolished in April 2019 and April 2023. Of these, South Somerset had the most collisions in 2023: 224.

Latest crashes in Somerset in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset in 2023, 1 was fatal and 2 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

Somerset road accidents in other years