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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2003: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 359 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2003, and 554 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 59 were serious.

Collisions were down 16% on 2002 (426), and casualties fell from 663.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 15,774 collisions in West Dorset.

District council until April 2019, now part of Dorset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 2003
359
Down 16% on 2002
Casualties in 2003
554
Down 16% on 2002
Fatal collisions
8
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
59
16% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2003

2.2% of collisions in West Dorset in 2003 were fatal and 16% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal82.2%
  • Serious5916%
  • Slight29281%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.4%
  • Serious7313%
  • Slight47385%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2003 is highlighted, with 359, down 16% on 2002.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2003
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025207297
2024248331
2023209285
2022217316
2021222298
2020159226
2019209304
2018189265
2017225328
2016248382
2015277409
2014262384
2013249356
2012283408
2011289436
2010267401
2009317455
2008308461
2007342502
2006372581
2005346522
2004388602
2003359554
2002426663
2001441656
2000438710
1999401633
1998467699
1997440662
1996425671
1995355611
1994431686
1993392626
1992405662
1991391620
1990389616
1989386632
1988393584
1987400611
1986363538
1985358530
1984411621
1983341490
1982382573
1981367569
1980390540
1979390566

When and where crashes happen in West Dorset in 2003

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday60 (17%)
  • Tuesday51 (14%)
  • Wednesday45 (13%)
  • Thursday35 (9.7%)
  • Friday73 (20%)
  • Saturday55 (15%)
  • Sunday40 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:599 (2.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5947 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5952 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5981 (23%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5992 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5950 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5922 (6.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January32 (8.9%)
  • February31 (8.6%)
  • March21 (5.8%)
  • April29 (8.1%)
  • May31 (8.6%)
  • June33 (9.2%)
  • July28 (7.8%)
  • August34 (9.5%)
  • September37 (10%)
  • October39 (11%)
  • November21 (5.8%)
  • December23 (6.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight272 (76%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit63 (18%)
  • Dark, street lights lit24 (6.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds295 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds45 (13%)
  • Fog or mist12 (3.3%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.8%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Other2 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry249 (69%)
  • Wet or damp102 (28%)
  • Frost or ice7 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph5 (1.4%)
  • 30 mph122 (34%)
  • 40 mph18 (5%)
  • 50 mph17 (4.7%)
  • 60 mph182 (51%)
  • 70 mph15 (4.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway314 (87%)
  • Roundabout19 (5.3%)
  • Dual carriageway18 (5%)
  • One way street or slip road2 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2003

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant411 (74%)
  • Motorcyclist56 (10%)
  • Pedestrian45 (8.1%)
  • Cyclist13 (2.3%)
  • Van occupant13 (2.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant8 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1026 (4.7%)
  • 11 to 1524 (4.3%)
  • 16 to 2083 (15%)
  • 21 to 2568 (12%)
  • 26 to 35114 (21%)
  • 36 to 4582 (15%)
  • 46 to 5553 (9.6%)
  • 56 to 6544 (7.9%)
  • 66 to 7523 (4.2%)
  • Over 7522 (4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider330 (60%)
  • Passenger179 (32%)
  • Pedestrian45 (8.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car528 (78%)
  • Motorcycle56 (8.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes30 (4.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes26 (3.8%)
  • Pedal cycle14 (2.1%)
  • Bus or coach10 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.9%)
  • Agricultural vehicle3 (0.4%)
  • Minibus3 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2003

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2003 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in West Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

Accident hotspots in West Dorset in 2003

Dorchester West, Dorset, DT1 1RU area was the busiest accident hotspot in West Dorset in 2003, with 31 collisions, 3 of them serious.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2003

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2003: 65, including 4 fatal and 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2003
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA356512148
2ndB3157274415
3rdA352213603
4thA37204212
5thA3066163004
6thA354132302
7thA30121603
8thB3150121501
9thB3147111202
10thA35681301
11thB314481000
12thB31628903
13thA305271010
14thB31597801
15thA30305911
16thB31455700
17thA3533401
18thB31433402
19thB33903400
20thA30701100

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2003

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2003: 39.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2003

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2003: 120.

Dorset and its former districts in 2003

Dorset recorded 1,308 collisions in 2003, and 27% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2003

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2003, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 2003.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years