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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2018: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 189 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2018, and 265 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 40 were serious.

Collisions were down 16% on 2017 (225), and casualties fell from 328.

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 2018
189
Down 16% on 2017
Casualties in 2018
265
Down 19% on 2017
Fatal collisions
6
3.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
40
21% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2018

3.2% of collisions in West Dorset in 2018 were fatal and 21% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal63.2%
  • Serious4021%
  • Slight14376%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal62.3%
  • Serious4617%
  • Slight21380%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2018 is highlighted, with 189, down 16% on 2017.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2018: 189
  • 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 2018

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday26 (14%)
  • Tuesday28 (15%)
  • Wednesday21 (11%)
  • Thursday35 (19%)
  • Friday30 (16%)
  • Saturday26 (14%)
  • Sunday23 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:591 (0.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:591 (0.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5917 (9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5930 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5943 (23%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5949 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5931 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5917 (9%)

Collisions by month

  • January9 (4.8%)
  • February8 (4.2%)
  • March19 (10%)
  • April21 (11%)
  • May14 (7.4%)
  • June16 (8.5%)
  • July24 (13%)
  • August16 (8.5%)
  • September11 (5.8%)
  • October20 (11%)
  • November11 (5.8%)
  • December20 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight152 (80%)
  • Dark, no street lighting27 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit10 (5.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds161 (85%)
  • Raining, no high winds17 (9%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (2.1%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (2.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded2 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry142 (75%)
  • Wet or damp44 (23%)
  • Snow2 (1.1%)
  • Frost or ice1 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (1.6%)
  • 30 mph62 (33%)
  • 40 mph21 (11%)
  • 50 mph10 (5.3%)
  • 60 mph86 (46%)
  • 70 mph7 (3.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway172 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway12 (6.3%)
  • Roundabout3 (1.6%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2018

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant186 (70%)
  • Motorcyclist31 (12%)
  • Pedestrian25 (9.4%)
  • Cyclist16 (6%)
  • Van occupant5 (1.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.4%)
  • Horse rider1 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 54 (1.5%)
  • 6 to 106 (2.3%)
  • 11 to 157 (2.6%)
  • 16 to 2027 (10%)
  • 21 to 2532 (12%)
  • 26 to 3538 (14%)
  • 36 to 4531 (12%)
  • 46 to 5537 (14%)
  • 56 to 6531 (12%)
  • 66 to 7538 (14%)
  • Over 7514 (5.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider174 (66%)
  • Passenger66 (25%)
  • Pedestrian25 (9.4%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car267 (75%)
  • Motorcycle30 (8.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes28 (7.8%)
  • Pedal cycle15 (4.2%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (2%)
  • Agricultural vehicle3 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach2 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle2 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.6%)
  • Minibus1 (0.3%)
  • Other1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2018

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2018 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 2018

Dorchester West, Dorset, DT1 1RU area was the busiest accident hotspot in West Dorset in 2018, with 13 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2018

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2018: 43, including 1 fatal and 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2018
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35436819
2ndA37101203
3rdB3150101301
4thB3157101303
5thA35491402
6thA35691503
7thA35271211
8thA3051112
9thA30665503
10thB31445700
11thB31455501
12thA30524411
13thA3534502
14thB31474600
15thB31654700
16thB31433700
17thB33903411
18thB31622400
19thB31632200
20thA30301100

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2018

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2018: 27.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2018

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2018: 63.

Dorset and its former districts in 2018

Dorset recorded 638 collisions in 2018, and 30% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2018

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2018, none were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 28 December 2018.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years