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CrashStats

Wakefield road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 648 road traffic collisions in Wakefield in 2023, and 813 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 7 were fatal and 181 were serious.

Collisions were up 6% on 2022 (614), and casualties fell from 826.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 44,869 collisions in Wakefield.

Collisions in 2023
648
Up 6% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
813
Down 2% on 2022
Fatal collisions
7
1.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
181
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Wakefield in 2023

1.1% of collisions in Wakefield in 2023 were fatal and 28% serious, against 1.8% and 20% in Wakefield from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal71.1%
  • Serious18128%
  • Slight46071%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal70.9%
  • Serious21026%
  • Slight59673%

Wakefield road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Wakefield, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,285 in 1980. 2023 is highlighted, with 648, up 6% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 648
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025555722
2024589754
2023648813
2022614826
2021483633
2020387493
2019487641
2018617833
2017594812
2016684955
2015717986
2014644922
2013636917
20127191,061
20117261,113
20108031,188
20098421,283
20088431,260
20079221,335
20068921,297
20059471,439
20041,0921,681
20031,1141,669
20021,1161,691
20011,0601,634
20001,1171,646
19991,1551,684
19981,2391,766
19971,2221,792
19961,2111,695
19951,2161,695
19941,2121,679
19931,1641,545
19921,1741,588
19911,1711,535
19901,2021,588
19891,2081,620
19881,2121,609
19871,1171,465
19861,1351,505
19851,1311,452
19841,1351,400
19831,1561,478
19821,2631,640
19811,2791,636
19801,2851,612
19791,1341,460

When and where crashes happen in Wakefield in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday98 (15%)
  • Tuesday104 (16%)
  • Wednesday87 (13%)
  • Thursday95 (15%)
  • Friday109 (17%)
  • Saturday88 (14%)
  • Sunday67 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5914 (2.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5913 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5978 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5981 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59112 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59180 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59119 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5951 (7.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January59 (9.1%)
  • February52 (8%)
  • March60 (9.3%)
  • April49 (7.6%)
  • May53 (8.2%)
  • June51 (7.9%)
  • July55 (8.5%)
  • August44 (6.8%)
  • September48 (7.4%)
  • October50 (7.7%)
  • November64 (9.9%)
  • December63 (9.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight445 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit156 (24%)
  • Dark, no street lighting21 (3.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown20 (3.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds497 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds88 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds11 (1.7%)
  • Raining with high winds10 (1.5%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other26 (4%)
  • Not recorded11 (1.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry439 (68%)
  • Wet or damp200 (31%)
  • Frost or ice8 (1.2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph29 (4.5%)
  • 30 mph461 (71%)
  • 40 mph51 (7.9%)
  • 50 mph16 (2.5%)
  • 60 mph45 (6.9%)
  • 70 mph46 (7.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway505 (78%)
  • Dual carriageway80 (12%)
  • Roundabout30 (4.6%)
  • One way street or slip road19 (2.9%)
  • Not recorded14 (2.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Wakefield in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant476 (59%)
  • Pedestrian123 (15%)
  • Cyclist78 (9.6%)
  • Motorcyclist76 (9.3%)
  • Van occupant18 (2.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant8 (1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant7 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (0.9%)
  • Mobility scooter rider4 (0.5%)
  • Other5 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 518 (2.2%)
  • 6 to 1037 (4.6%)
  • 11 to 1558 (7.1%)
  • 16 to 20102 (13%)
  • 21 to 2576 (9.3%)
  • 26 to 35159 (20%)
  • 36 to 45107 (13%)
  • 46 to 55103 (13%)
  • 56 to 6568 (8.4%)
  • 66 to 7544 (5.4%)
  • Over 7540 (4.9%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider511 (63%)
  • Passenger179 (22%)
  • Pedestrian123 (15%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car877 (74%)
  • Motorcycle84 (7.1%)
  • Pedal cycle79 (6.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes60 (5.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes27 (2.3%)
  • Other vehicle21 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach10 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown5 (0.4%)
  • Mobility scooter4 (0.3%)
  • Other8 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Wakefield in 2023

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

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 Wakefield ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Wakefield had the 34th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
34th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
32nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
48th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
13th
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Wakefield in 2023

Wakefield North, Wakefield, WF1 1AP area was the busiest accident hotspot in Wakefield in 2023, with 35 collisions, 12 of them serious.

Roads in Wakefield with the most crashes in 2023

The A638 had the most collisions in Wakefield in 2023: 51, including 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Wakefield, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6385163014
2ndA639415006
3rdA6453341014
4thA642313608
5thA61212804
6thM1172514
7thA655132104
8thA636121502
9thB6128121605
10thM62111602
11thB6428101605
12thB627391205
13thA619481003
14thA17801
15thA6507902
16thB61367704
17thB64216702
18thB642261202
19thA1(M)51311
20thA6285503

Towns in Wakefield: crashes in 2023

Wakefield itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 2023: 172.

Postcode districts in Wakefield: crashes in 2023

WF4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Wakefield in 2023: 104.

Latest crashes in Wakefield in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Wakefield in 2023, 1 was fatal and 10 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2023.

Severity

Wakefield road accidents in other years