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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 209 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2023, and 285 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 2 were fatal and 56 were serious.

Collisions were down 4% on 2022 (217), and casualties fell from 316.

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 2023
209
Down 4% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
285
Down 10% on 2022
Fatal collisions
2
1% of collisions
Serious collisions
56
27% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2023

1% of collisions in West Dorset in 2023 were fatal and 27% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal21%
  • Serious5627%
  • Slight15172%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal20.7%
  • Serious6623%
  • Slight21776%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2023 is highlighted, with 209, down 4% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023: 209
  • 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 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday32 (15%)
  • Tuesday33 (16%)
  • Wednesday30 (14%)
  • Thursday28 (13%)
  • Friday30 (14%)
  • Saturday27 (13%)
  • Sunday29 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (2.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5926 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5943 (21%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5940 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5948 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5924 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5918 (8.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January21 (10%)
  • February17 (8.1%)
  • March8 (3.8%)
  • April15 (7.2%)
  • May21 (10%)
  • June20 (9.6%)
  • July17 (8.1%)
  • August22 (11%)
  • September23 (11%)
  • October16 (7.7%)
  • November18 (8.6%)
  • December11 (5.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight155 (74%)
  • Dark, no street lighting37 (18%)
  • Dark, street lights lit15 (7.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds176 (84%)
  • Raining, no high winds23 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (1.9%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (1.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry145 (69%)
  • Wet or damp49 (23%)
  • Frost or ice12 (5.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (1%)
  • Snow1 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph70 (33%)
  • 40 mph8 (3.8%)
  • 50 mph17 (8.1%)
  • 60 mph111 (53%)
  • 70 mph3 (1.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway200 (96%)
  • Dual carriageway5 (2.4%)
  • Roundabout4 (1.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant185 (65%)
  • Motorcyclist39 (14%)
  • Pedestrian22 (7.7%)
  • Cyclist16 (5.6%)
  • Van occupant16 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (1.4%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (1.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 55 (1.8%)
  • 6 to 105 (1.8%)
  • 11 to 1510 (3.5%)
  • 16 to 2035 (12%)
  • 21 to 2521 (7.4%)
  • 26 to 3544 (15%)
  • 36 to 4530 (11%)
  • 46 to 5535 (12%)
  • 56 to 6540 (14%)
  • 66 to 7534 (12%)
  • Over 7525 (8.8%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider201 (71%)
  • Passenger62 (22%)
  • Pedestrian22 (7.7%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car261 (72%)
  • Motorcycle36 (9.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes29 (8%)
  • Pedal cycle17 (4.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes12 (3.3%)
  • Agricultural vehicle6 (1.7%)
  • Minibus1 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 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 2023

Dorchester West, Dorset, DT1 1RU area was the busiest accident hotspot in West Dorset in 2023, with 10 collisions, 2 of them serious.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2023

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2023: 35, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35355809
2ndB3157182406
3rdA352111202
4thA306681212
5thB31627803
6thA3061305
7thA30526803
8thA3546701
9thA376801
10thA3535602
11thA35651300
12thB31435703
13thB31655601
14thB31454502
15thB31474403
16thA30302401
17thB31482200
18thB31502200
19thB31562201
20thB31441100

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2023

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2023: 20.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2023

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2023: 77.

Dorset and its former districts in 2023

Dorset recorded 662 collisions in 2023, and 32% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2023, none were fatal and 2 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years