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CrashStats

Tower Hamlets road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,114 road traffic collisions in Tower Hamlets in 2021, and 1,281 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 158 were serious.

Collisions were up 24% on 2020 (896), and casualties rose from 1,034.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 49,582 collisions in Tower Hamlets.

Collisions in 2021
1,114
Up 24% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
1,281
Up 24% on 2020
Fatal collisions
2
0.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
158
14% of collisions

Crash severity in Tower Hamlets in 2021

0.2% of collisions in Tower Hamlets in 2021 were fatal and 14% serious, against 0.8% and 14% in Tower Hamlets from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal20.2%
  • Serious15814%
  • Slight95486%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.2%
  • Serious16012%
  • Slight1,11987%

Tower Hamlets road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Tower Hamlets, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,344 in 1982. 2021 is highlighted, with 1,114, up 24% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 1,114
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20259491,079
20249011,014
20239991,148
20221,0391,170
20211,1141,281
20208961,034
20191,1311,350
20181,1321,337
20171,1211,299
20161,0861,272
20151,0661,247
20141,0441,221
20139321,020
20129951,195
2011883945
2010861970
2009772892
20088771,103
2007831969
2006787916
20058391,004
2004829991
20038991,057
20029301,094
20011,1701,397
20001,1401,387
19991,2021,424
19981,1501,306
19971,0331,191
19961,0381,193
19951,0331,181
19941,0321,162
19931,0621,192
19921,1061,310
19911,2051,427
19901,1741,375
19891,3131,534
19881,2111,382
19871,1551,294
19861,2381,428
19851,1381,344
19841,2591,423
19831,1871,353
19821,3441,587
19811,1241,328
19801,1401,349
19791,2151,461

When and where crashes happen in Tower Hamlets in 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday149 (13%)
  • Tuesday157 (14%)
  • Wednesday148 (13%)
  • Thursday178 (16%)
  • Friday177 (16%)
  • Saturday159 (14%)
  • Sunday146 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5973 (6.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5932 (2.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59101 (9.1%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59106 (9.5%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59167 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59246 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59231 (21%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59158 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January62 (5.6%)
  • February54 (4.8%)
  • March82 (7.4%)
  • April102 (9.2%)
  • May114 (10%)
  • June115 (10%)
  • July98 (8.8%)
  • August102 (9.2%)
  • September114 (10%)
  • October88 (7.9%)
  • November106 (9.5%)
  • December77 (6.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight699 (63%)
  • Dark, street lights lit355 (32%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown52 (4.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.5%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds869 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds109 (9.8%)
  • Raining with high winds10 (0.9%)
  • Fine with high winds9 (0.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.3%)
  • Other58 (5.2%)
  • Not recorded56 (5%)

Road surface

  • Dry863 (77%)
  • Wet or damp194 (17%)
  • Frost or ice3 (0.3%)
  • Snow2 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded52 (4.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph631 (57%)
  • 30 mph429 (39%)
  • 40 mph44 (3.9%)
  • 50 mph7 (0.6%)
  • 60 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 70 mph2 (0.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway582 (52%)
  • Dual carriageway222 (20%)
  • One way street or slip road140 (13%)
  • Roundabout55 (4.9%)
  • Not recorded115 (10%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Tower Hamlets in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant398 (31%)
  • Cyclist348 (27%)
  • Motorcyclist284 (22%)
  • Pedestrian155 (12%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant41 (3.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant26 (2%)
  • Van occupant8 (0.6%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user4 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded12 (0.9%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 55 (0.4%)
  • 6 to 1015 (1.2%)
  • 11 to 1523 (1.8%)
  • 16 to 20101 (7.9%)
  • 21 to 25195 (15%)
  • 26 to 35403 (31%)
  • 36 to 45228 (18%)
  • 46 to 55134 (10%)
  • 56 to 6568 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7520 (1.6%)
  • Over 756 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded83 (6.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider962 (75%)
  • Passenger164 (13%)
  • Pedestrian155 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,056 (51%)
  • Pedal cycle373 (18%)
  • Motorcycle337 (16%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes127 (6.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car102 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach34 (1.6%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)15 (0.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes11 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle9 (0.4%)
  • Minibus4 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (under 0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Tower Hamlets in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Tower Hamlets

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Tower Hamlets ranked among 350 areas in 2021

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Tower Hamlets had the 5th most road collisions in 2021.

Collisions
5th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
7th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
212th
of 350 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
16th
highest of 350 areas

Accident hotspots in Tower Hamlets in 2021

Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, E1 1HE area was the busiest accident hotspot in Tower Hamlets in 2021, with 191 collisions, 1 of them fatal.

Roads in Tower Hamlets with the most crashes in 2021

The A11 had the most collisions in Tower Hamlets in 2021: 181, including 1 fatal and 38 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Tower Hamlets, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA11181206138
2ndA13143155122
3rdA1206536607
4thA1205516106
5thA1209505408
6thA1203444908
7thB108384604
8thA1202354006
9thA12324604
10thB135303805
11thA1208273003
12thA107263206
13thB118262903
14thA1261243604
15thB126232601
16thB140232401
17thA102192502
18thB1349902
19thB1237702
20thA10205501

Towns in Tower Hamlets: crashes in 2021

Tower Hamlets itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2021: 1,055.

Postcode districts in Tower Hamlets: crashes in 2021

E1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Tower Hamlets in 2021: 383.

Latest crashes in Tower Hamlets in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in Tower Hamlets in 2021, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2021.

Severity

Tower Hamlets road accidents in other years