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CrashStats

Swale road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 324 road traffic collisions in Swale in 2023, and 435 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 66 were serious.

Collisions were down 7% on 2022 (350), and casualties fell from 501.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 19,855 collisions in Swale.

Collisions in 2023
324
Down 7% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
435
Down 13% on 2022
Fatal collisions
2
0.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
66
20% of collisions

Crash severity in Swale in 2023

0.6% of collisions in Swale in 2023 were fatal and 20% serious, against 1.7% and 19% in Swale from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.6%
  • Serious6620%
  • Slight25679%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.5%
  • Serious7317%
  • Slight36083%

Swale road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Swale, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 536 in 1984. 2023 is highlighted, with 324, down 7% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025277379
2024274368
2023324435
2022350501
2021339472
2020319427
2019372528
2018340497
2017408569
2016363496
2015361545
2014422588
2013374565
2012326446
2011388503
2010349464
2009395529
2008397546
2007370502
2006404550
2005419564
2004449597
2003415572
2002452589
2001486640
2000427566
1999390543
1998402556
1997387534
1996449620
1995436590
1994487661
1993455643
1992504679
1991464671
1990475659
1989532716
1988484669
1987500656
1986523712
1985529688
1984536755
1983488667
1982530683
1981511700
1980461601
1979512683

When and where crashes happen in Swale in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday38 (12%)
  • Tuesday50 (15%)
  • Wednesday44 (14%)
  • Thursday57 (18%)
  • Friday50 (15%)
  • Saturday35 (11%)
  • Sunday50 (15%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5910 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5949 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5946 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5964 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5979 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5944 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5926 (8%)

Collisions by month

  • January30 (9.3%)
  • February31 (9.6%)
  • March16 (4.9%)
  • April20 (6.2%)
  • May29 (9%)
  • June28 (8.6%)
  • July25 (7.7%)
  • August26 (8%)
  • September31 (9.6%)
  • October40 (12%)
  • November21 (6.5%)
  • December27 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight241 (74%)
  • Dark, street lights lit45 (14%)
  • Dark, no street lighting26 (8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown10 (3.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds269 (83%)
  • Raining, no high winds37 (11%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (1.2%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Other7 (2.2%)
  • Not recorded4 (1.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry235 (73%)
  • Wet or damp83 (26%)
  • Frost or ice3 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph14 (4.3%)
  • 30 mph162 (50%)
  • 40 mph34 (10%)
  • 50 mph13 (4%)
  • 60 mph47 (15%)
  • 70 mph54 (17%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway238 (73%)
  • Dual carriageway58 (18%)
  • Roundabout18 (5.6%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Swale in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant299 (69%)
  • Pedestrian53 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist44 (10%)
  • Cyclist23 (5.3%)
  • Van occupant8 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 514 (3.2%)
  • 6 to 1014 (3.2%)
  • 11 to 1513 (3%)
  • 16 to 2057 (13%)
  • 21 to 2540 (9.2%)
  • 26 to 3573 (17%)
  • 36 to 4560 (14%)
  • 46 to 5545 (10%)
  • 56 to 6541 (9.4%)
  • 66 to 7535 (8%)
  • Over 7522 (5.1%)
  • Not recorded21 (4.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider288 (66%)
  • Passenger94 (22%)
  • Pedestrian53 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car461 (77%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes46 (7.6%)
  • Motorcycle43 (7.1%)
  • Pedal cycle24 (4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes12 (2%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown4 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle4 (0.7%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)3 (0.5%)
  • Bus or coach2 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Swale in 2023

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

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Swale ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Swale had the 98th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
98th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
97th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
227th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
119th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Swale in 2023

Chalkwell, Swale, ME10 4PL area was the busiest accident hotspot in Swale in 2023, with 30 collisions, 5 of them serious.

Roads in Swale with the most crashes in 2023

The A2 had the most collisions in Swale in 2023: 63, including 1 fatal and 10 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Swale, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA26382110
2ndM2274308
3rdA249223804
4thA250111402
5thA251111904
6thB2006111201
7thA2500101100
8thB20087802
9thB20406701
10thB223151101
11thA2994502
12thB20054402
13thB20073401

Towns in Swale: crashes in 2023

Sittingbourne had the most collisions of any town in Swale in 2023: 84.

Postcode districts in Swale: crashes in 2023

ME10 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Swale in 2023: 88.

Latest crashes in Swale in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Swale in 2023, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

Swale road accidents in other years