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CrashStats

South Hams road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 141 road traffic collisions in the South Hams in 2023, and 177 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 30 were serious.

Collisions were up 5% on 2022 (134), and casualties fell from 181.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 12,165 collisions in the South Hams.

Collisions in 2023
141
Up 5% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
177
Down 2% on 2022
Fatal collisions
3
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
30
21% of collisions

Crash severity in the South Hams in 2023

2.1% of collisions in the South Hams in 2023 were fatal and 21% serious, against 1.7% and 20% in the South Hams from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal32.1%
  • Serious3021%
  • Slight10877%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal31.7%
  • Serious3319%
  • Slight14180%

South Hams road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the South Hams, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 363 in 1986. 2023 is highlighted, with 141, up 5% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 141
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025158217
2024146183
2023141177
2022134181
2021139194
2020122163
2019156265
2018179245
2017199274
2016217295
2015211293
2014233352
2013210280
2012243358
2011211309
2010220332
2009253345
2008283404
2007322446
2006344456
2005333450
2004303371
2003286387
2002302417
2001284410
2000319438
1999285379
1998286375
1997317432
1996332449
1995308415
1994239323
1993282383
1992254353
1991258373
1990275364
1989278448
1988300404
1987264347
1986363529
1985339473
1984294428
1983270385
1982325472
1981327500
1980325450
1979296419

When and where crashes happen in the South Hams in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday21 (15%)
  • Tuesday16 (11%)
  • Wednesday20 (14%)
  • Thursday24 (17%)
  • Friday21 (15%)
  • Saturday24 (17%)
  • Sunday15 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:599 (6.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (2.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5920 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5919 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5927 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5929 (21%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5920 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5913 (9.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January13 (9.2%)
  • February13 (9.2%)
  • March13 (9.2%)
  • April14 (9.9%)
  • May12 (8.5%)
  • June15 (11%)
  • July6 (4.3%)
  • August15 (11%)
  • September7 (5%)
  • October11 (7.8%)
  • November7 (5%)
  • December15 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight100 (71%)
  • Dark, no street lighting24 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit12 (8.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (2.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (1.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds106 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds21 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (4.3%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.7%)
  • Other3 (2.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry90 (64%)
  • Wet or damp42 (30%)
  • Frost or ice8 (5.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (1.4%)
  • 30 mph48 (34%)
  • 40 mph7 (5%)
  • 60 mph66 (47%)
  • 70 mph18 (13%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway108 (77%)
  • Dual carriageway20 (14%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (3.5%)
  • Roundabout5 (3.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (2.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the South Hams in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant105 (59%)
  • Motorcyclist25 (14%)
  • Pedestrian16 (9%)
  • Cyclist14 (7.9%)
  • Van occupant11 (6.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant1 (0.6%)
  • Horse rider1 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 51 (0.6%)
  • 6 to 103 (1.7%)
  • 11 to 156 (3.4%)
  • 16 to 2018 (10%)
  • 21 to 2517 (9.6%)
  • 26 to 3537 (21%)
  • 36 to 4525 (14%)
  • 46 to 5517 (9.6%)
  • 56 to 6532 (18%)
  • 66 to 759 (5.1%)
  • Over 7511 (6.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider127 (72%)
  • Passenger34 (19%)
  • Pedestrian16 (9%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car170 (67%)
  • Motorcycle25 (9.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes23 (9.1%)
  • Pedal cycle14 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes9 (3.6%)
  • Agricultural vehicle4 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach2 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.8%)
  • Ridden horse1 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.4%)
  • Other1 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the South Hams in 2023

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

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How the South Hams ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the South Hams had fewer road collisions than 266 of them in 2023.

Collisions
267th
of 351 areas, highest first
Casualties
276th
of 351 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
174th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
289th
of 351 areas, highest first

Accident hotspots in the South Hams in 2023

Plympton Erle, Plymouth, PL7 1QJ area was the busiest accident hotspot in the South Hams in 2023, with 8 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in the South Hams with the most crashes in 2023

The A38 had the most collisions in the South Hams in 2023: 21, including 1 fatal and 2 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the South Hams, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38212912
2ndA381151605
3rdA379141713
4thA3805700
5thA3845801
6thB32135603
7thA31224500
8thA3854600
9thA3864601
10thB31963301
11thA31212200
12thB32052400
13thB30601100
14thB32041100
15thB33721100

Towns in the South Hams: crashes in 2023

Totnes had the most collisions of any town in the South Hams in 2023: 9.

Postcode districts in the South Hams: crashes in 2023

TQ9 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the South Hams in 2023: 34.

Latest crashes in the South Hams in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in the South Hams in 2023, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

South Hams road accidents in other years