Skip to main content
CrashStats

Sunderland road accidents in 2020: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 321 road traffic collisions in Sunderland in 2020, and 397 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 82 were serious.

Collisions were down 24% on 2019 (422), and casualties fell from 542.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 34,891 collisions in Sunderland.

Collisions in 2020
321
Down 24% on 2019
Casualties in 2020
397
Down 27% on 2019
Fatal collisions
6
1.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
82
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Sunderland in 2020

1.9% of collisions in Sunderland in 2020 were fatal and 26% serious, against 1.4% and 18% in Sunderland from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal61.9%
  • Serious8226%
  • Slight23373%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal61.5%
  • Serious8922%
  • Slight30276%

Sunderland road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Sunderland, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,044 in 1997. 2020 is highlighted, with 321, down 24% on 2019.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2020: 321
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025332430
2024335424
2023324438
2022322406
2021325426
2020321397
2019422542
2018401529
2017397518
2016513679
2015531748
2014573793
2013584793
2012568792
2011601807
2010654934
2009752989
20087481,002
20077581,031
20067601,021
20058181,101
20049021,236
20039881,346
20029021,255
20019411,315
20009631,346
19999511,306
19989681,355
19971,0441,475
19969961,368
19959531,309
19949461,265
19938901,156
19929821,281
19911,0331,363
19901,0151,355
19899391,238
19887951,046
19878241,071
1986776967
19858151,029
19848691,049
1983776919
19828591,040
19819251,124
19808581,088
19799421,203

When and where crashes happen in Sunderland in 2020

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday51 (16%)
  • Tuesday41 (13%)
  • Wednesday46 (14%)
  • Thursday41 (13%)
  • Friday52 (16%)
  • Saturday49 (15%)
  • Sunday41 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5911 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5931 (9.7%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5943 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5965 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5986 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5956 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5923 (7.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January17 (5.3%)
  • February34 (11%)
  • March31 (9.7%)
  • April9 (2.8%)
  • May17 (5.3%)
  • June15 (4.7%)
  • July34 (11%)
  • August31 (9.7%)
  • September32 (10%)
  • October38 (12%)
  • November26 (8.1%)
  • December37 (12%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight235 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit73 (23%)
  • Dark, no street lighting7 (2.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (1.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds264 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds33 (10%)
  • Fine with high winds10 (3.1%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other8 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry231 (72%)
  • Wet or damp87 (27%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph13 (4%)
  • 30 mph242 (75%)
  • 40 mph15 (4.7%)
  • 50 mph12 (3.7%)
  • 60 mph13 (4%)
  • 70 mph26 (8.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway229 (71%)
  • Dual carriageway62 (19%)
  • Roundabout18 (5.6%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (3.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Sunderland in 2020

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant212 (53%)
  • Pedestrian72 (18%)
  • Cyclist47 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist26 (6.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant25 (6.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (1.8%)
  • Van occupant6 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 511 (2.8%)
  • 6 to 1015 (3.8%)
  • 11 to 1532 (8.1%)
  • 16 to 2041 (10%)
  • 21 to 2551 (13%)
  • 26 to 3568 (17%)
  • 36 to 4544 (11%)
  • 46 to 5547 (12%)
  • 56 to 6539 (9.8%)
  • 66 to 7523 (5.8%)
  • Over 7522 (5.5%)
  • Not recorded4 (1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider220 (55%)
  • Passenger105 (26%)
  • Pedestrian72 (18%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car410 (73%)
  • Pedal cycle49 (8.7%)
  • Motorcycle30 (5.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes30 (5.3%)
  • Bus or coach22 (3.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (1.2%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Sunderland in 2020

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2020 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Sunderland

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Sunderland ranked among 350 areas in 2020

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Sunderland had the 83rd most road collisions in 2020.

Collisions
83rd
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
90th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
63rd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
50th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Sunderland in 2020

Deptford & Hendon, Sunderland, SR1 3JQ area was the busiest accident hotspot in Sunderland in 2020, with 23 collisions, 4 of them serious.

Roads in Sunderland with the most crashes in 2020

The A1231 had the most collisions in Sunderland in 2020: 24, including 1 fatal and 4 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Sunderland, 2020
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1231243414
2ndA183222804
3rdA182202617
4thA1018131703
5thB1405111412
6thA690101302
7thB128691012
8thB152281000
9thA1955502
10thB12915501
11thA10524500
12thA194501
13thA194(M)4811
14thB12844601
15thA12903411
16thB12883301
17thB14043700
18thB12601100

Towns in Sunderland: crashes in 2020

Sunderland itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2020: 172.

Postcode districts in Sunderland: crashes in 2020

SR5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Sunderland in 2020: 52.

Latest crashes in Sunderland in 2020

Of the last 24 crashes in Sunderland in 2020, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2020.

Severity

Sunderland road accidents in other years