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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2021: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 222 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2021, and 298 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 61 were serious.

Collisions were up 40% on 2020 (159), and casualties rose from 226.

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 2021
222
Up 40% on 2020
Casualties in 2021
298
Up 32% on 2020
Fatal collisions
5
2.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
61
27% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2021

2.3% of collisions in West Dorset in 2021 were fatal and 27% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal52.3%
  • Serious6127%
  • Slight15670%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal51.7%
  • Serious6522%
  • Slight22877%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2021 is highlighted, with 222, up 40% on 2020.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2021: 222
  • 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 2021

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday40 (18%)
  • Tuesday33 (15%)
  • Wednesday26 (12%)
  • Thursday34 (15%)
  • Friday31 (14%)
  • Saturday28 (13%)
  • Sunday30 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:594 (1.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5922 (9.9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5942 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5950 (23%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5956 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5932 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5912 (5.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January16 (7.2%)
  • February10 (4.5%)
  • March13 (5.9%)
  • April20 (9%)
  • May16 (7.2%)
  • June22 (9.9%)
  • July18 (8.1%)
  • August31 (14%)
  • September29 (13%)
  • October13 (5.9%)
  • November24 (11%)
  • December10 (4.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight182 (82%)
  • Dark, no street lighting27 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit10 (4.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (1.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds198 (89%)
  • Raining, no high winds16 (7.2%)
  • Fog or mist3 (1.4%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.5%)
  • Other2 (0.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry175 (79%)
  • Wet or damp41 (18%)
  • Frost or ice5 (2.3%)
  • Snow1 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (0.9%)
  • 30 mph73 (33%)
  • 40 mph9 (4.1%)
  • 50 mph13 (5.9%)
  • 60 mph120 (54%)
  • 70 mph5 (2.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway204 (92%)
  • Roundabout9 (4.1%)
  • Dual carriageway7 (3.2%)
  • One way street or slip road2 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2021

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant173 (58%)
  • Motorcyclist47 (16%)
  • Cyclist25 (8.4%)
  • Pedestrian22 (7.4%)
  • Van occupant20 (6.7%)
  • Agricultural vehicle occupant2 (0.7%)
  • Mobility scooter rider2 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.7%)
  • Horse rider1 (0.3%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.3%)
  • Other2 (0.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 53 (1%)
  • 6 to 106 (2%)
  • 11 to 157 (2.3%)
  • 16 to 2028 (9.4%)
  • 21 to 2533 (11%)
  • 26 to 3560 (20%)
  • 36 to 4530 (10%)
  • 46 to 5543 (14%)
  • 56 to 6538 (13%)
  • 66 to 7529 (9.7%)
  • Over 7521 (7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider220 (74%)
  • Passenger56 (19%)
  • Pedestrian22 (7.4%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car256 (64%)
  • Motorcycle46 (12%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes40 (10%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (6.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes12 (3%)
  • Agricultural vehicle5 (1.3%)
  • Minibus3 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.8%)
  • Mobility scooter2 (0.5%)
  • Ridden horse1 (0.3%)
  • Other4 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2021

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2021 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 2021

Dorchester West, Dorset, DT1 1RU area was the busiest accident hotspot in West Dorset in 2021, with 14 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2021

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2021: 41, including 13 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2021
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA354160013
2ndB3157151806
3rdA354111604
4thA37111802
5thA352101404
6thA35691100
7thA3071201
8thA306671113
9thB31507701
10thB31625601
11thA30524410
12thB31444400
13thB31474500
14thB31594901
15thA30303501
16thB31653400
17thA3532301
18thB31632201
19thB31421301
20thB31431100

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2021

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2021: 23.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2021

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2021: 88.

Dorset and its former districts in 2021

Dorset recorded 621 collisions in 2021, and 36% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2021

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2021, none were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 29 December 2021.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years