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CrashStats

Watford road accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 14,587 road traffic collisions in Watford from 1979 to 2025, and 19,220 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 126 were fatal and 2,709 were serious.

In 2025 police recorded 150 collisions, up 18% on 2024 (127), and casualties rose from 160 to 181.

Collisions, 1979 to 2025
14,587
97th lowest of 351 areas
Casualties
19,220
1.32 per collision
Fatal collisions
126
0.9% of collisions
Collisions in 2025
150
Up 18% on 2024

Crash severity in Watford

0.9% of collisions in Watford from 1979 to 2025 were fatal and 19% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal1260.9%
  • Serious2,70919%
  • Slight11,75281%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal1340.7%
  • Serious3,07416%
  • Slight16,01283%

Watford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Watford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 496 in 1982. In 2025 there were 150, up 18% on 2024.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 150
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025150181
2024127160
2023160199
2022104123
2021117140
2020118147
2019159210
2018158194
2017201241
2016242315
2015203245
2014240297
2013195242
2012234289
2011219284
2010211281
2009212299
2008214296
2007228314
2006265350
2005278400
2004307395
2003331464
2002353489
2001377493
2000413570
1999438596
1998474671
1997468652
1996477680
1995435644
1994444650
1993372525
1992353457
1991338431
1990365457
1989391478
1988418521
1987401512
1986433561
1985411528
1984454568
1983386459
1982496641
1981382517
1980409508
1979426546

When and where crashes happen in Watford

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday2,090 (14%)
  • Tuesday2,153 (15%)
  • Wednesday2,068 (14%)
  • Thursday2,240 (15%)
  • Friday2,617 (18%)
  • Saturday1,979 (14%)
  • Sunday1,440 (9.9%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59512 (3.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:59185 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:591,945 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:591,942 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:592,605 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:593,593 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:592,463 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:591,342 (9.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January1,180 (8.1%)
  • February1,099 (7.5%)
  • March1,139 (7.8%)
  • April1,165 (8%)
  • May1,156 (7.9%)
  • June1,196 (8.2%)
  • July1,186 (8.1%)
  • August1,158 (7.9%)
  • September1,287 (8.8%)
  • October1,422 (9.7%)
  • November1,394 (9.6%)
  • December1,205 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight10,494 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit3,873 (27%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown120 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit65 (0.4%)
  • Dark, no street lighting35 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds11,704 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds2,042 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds150 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds137 (0.9%)
  • Fog or mist75 (0.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds70 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds12 (0.1%)
  • Other220 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded177 (1.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry9,612 (66%)
  • Wet or damp4,691 (32%)
  • Frost or ice157 (1.1%)
  • Snow46 (0.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep14 (0.1%)
  • Oil or diesel7 (under 0.1%)
  • Not recorded60 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 20 mph162 (1.1%)
  • 30 mph12,457 (85%)
  • 40 mph803 (5.5%)
  • 50 mph766 (5.3%)
  • 60 mph108 (0.7%)
  • 70 mph290 (2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway9,788 (67%)
  • Dual carriageway2,445 (17%)
  • One way street or slip road1,476 (10%)
  • Roundabout813 (5.6%)
  • Not recorded65 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who is hurt in road crashes in Watford

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant10,528 (55%)
  • Pedestrian3,098 (16%)
  • Motorcyclist2,409 (13%)
  • Cyclist1,951 (10%)
  • Bus or coach occupant515 (2.7%)
  • Van occupant340 (1.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant174 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)96 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant48 (0.2%)
  • Minibus occupant44 (0.2%)
  • Other7 (under 0.1%)
  • Not recorded10 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5471 (2.5%)
  • 6 to 10715 (3.7%)
  • 11 to 151,191 (6.2%)
  • 16 to 203,693 (19%)
  • 21 to 252,785 (14%)
  • 26 to 353,732 (19%)
  • 36 to 452,412 (13%)
  • 46 to 551,770 (9.2%)
  • 56 to 651,141 (5.9%)
  • 66 to 75681 (3.5%)
  • Over 75547 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded82 (0.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider11,757 (61%)
  • Passenger4,365 (23%)
  • Pedestrian3,098 (16%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car19,840 (72%)
  • Motorcycle2,516 (9.2%)
  • Pedal cycle1,984 (7.2%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes1,217 (4.4%)
  • Bus or coach697 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes562 (2.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car281 (1%)
  • Other vehicle141 (0.5%)
  • Minibus75 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown23 (0.1%)
  • Other18 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded26 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes and hotspots in Watford

Map of the 24 most recent crashes and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Watford

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Watford ranks among 351 areas

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Watford had the 97th fewest road collisions from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions
97th
lowest of 351 areas
Casualties
97th
lowest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
26th
lowest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
84th
lowest of 351 areas
Areas ranked by collisions, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
252ndWorthing14,62917,8611212,518
253rdWest Lindsey14,61221,9975423,181
254thNuneaton and Bedworth14,59318,6232343,019
255thWatford (this area)14,58719,2201262,709
256thErewash14,51318,6622412,361
257thGravesham14,49919,1522022,644
258thWyre14,48619,7902833,172

Accident hotspots in Watford

Central, Watford, WD17 1BP area is the busiest accident hotspot in Watford, with 1,328 collisions from 2001 to 2025, 7 of them fatal.

Roads in Watford with the most crashes

The A412 had the most collisions in Watford from 1979 to 2025: 2,591, including 20 fatal and 473 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Watford, 1979 to 2025
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4122,5913,30220473
2ndA4112,2062,97918390
3rdA419461,35612196
4thA41786138225107
5thA4054987491796
6thA4145486616392
7thA4125315461159
8thA4008290401651
9thM1218399944
10thB462143103
11thA40461101
12thB45425702
13thA4142300
14thA41462200
15thB4122300
16thM252200
17thA1411301
18thA41401100
19thA41471200
20thA41481100

Towns in Watford

Watford, Watford had the most collisions of any town in Watford from 1979 to 2025: 13,325.

Postcode districts in Watford

WD17 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Watford from 1979 to 2025: 3,945.

Latest crashes in Watford

Of the latest 24 crashes in Watford, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The most recent was on 31 December 2025.

Severity