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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 2024: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 248 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 2024, and 331 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 50 were serious.

Collisions were up 19% on 2023 (209), and casualties rose from 285.

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 2024
248
Up 19% on 2023
Casualties in 2024
331
Up 16% on 2023
Fatal collisions
6
2.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
50
20% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 2024

2.4% of collisions in West Dorset in 2024 were fatal and 20% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal62.4%
  • Serious5020%
  • Slight19277%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal61.8%
  • Serious5115%
  • Slight27483%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 2024 is highlighted, with 248, up 19% on 2023.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2024
  • 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 2024

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday36 (15%)
  • Tuesday37 (15%)
  • Wednesday35 (14%)
  • Thursday35 (14%)
  • Friday29 (12%)
  • Saturday41 (17%)
  • Sunday35 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:597 (2.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (3.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5933 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5942 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5952 (21%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5960 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5929 (12%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5917 (6.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January23 (9.3%)
  • February15 (6%)
  • March24 (9.7%)
  • April18 (7.3%)
  • May21 (8.5%)
  • June30 (12%)
  • July24 (9.7%)
  • August19 (7.7%)
  • September21 (8.5%)
  • October16 (6.5%)
  • November23 (9.3%)
  • December14 (5.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight185 (75%)
  • Dark, no street lighting42 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit17 (6.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.8%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds197 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds30 (12%)
  • Fog or mist7 (2.8%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (2.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds4 (1.6%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.8%)
  • Other1 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry168 (68%)
  • Wet or damp71 (29%)
  • Frost or ice7 (2.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.4%)
  • Snow1 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (1.2%)
  • 30 mph75 (30%)
  • 40 mph15 (6%)
  • 50 mph25 (10%)
  • 60 mph125 (50%)
  • 70 mph5 (2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway228 (92%)
  • Dual carriageway9 (3.6%)
  • Roundabout9 (3.6%)
  • One way street or slip road2 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 2024

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant221 (67%)
  • Motorcyclist46 (14%)
  • Pedestrian24 (7.3%)
  • Cyclist16 (4.8%)
  • Van occupant16 (4.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.6%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user1 (0.3%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.3%)
  • Mobility scooter rider1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 53 (0.9%)
  • 6 to 104 (1.2%)
  • 11 to 154 (1.2%)
  • 16 to 2056 (17%)
  • 21 to 2533 (10%)
  • 26 to 3555 (17%)
  • 36 to 4545 (14%)
  • 46 to 5535 (11%)
  • 56 to 6537 (11%)
  • 66 to 7532 (9.7%)
  • Over 7527 (8.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider233 (70%)
  • Passenger74 (22%)
  • Pedestrian24 (7.3%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car318 (72%)
  • Motorcycle45 (10%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes34 (7.7%)
  • Pedal cycle16 (3.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes11 (2.5%)
  • Agricultural vehicle5 (1.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car3 (0.7%)
  • Bus or coach2 (0.5%)
  • Mobility scooter1 (0.2%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)1 (0.2%)
  • Other1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 2024

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2024 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 2024

Dorchester West, Dorset, DT1 1RU area was the busiest accident hotspot in West Dorset in 2024, with 16 collisions, 1 of them serious.

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 2024

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 2024: 44, including 2 fatal and 10 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 2024
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA354474210
2ndA354202701
3rdB3157182215
4thA352152002
5thA37132111
6thA3066121905
7thA308911
8thB31448800
9thB31507801
10thB31456601
11thA3565904
12thA30304601
13thB31623301
14thB33903300
15thA3532200
16thB31472300
17thB31562301
18thB31592200
19thB31632200
20thB31642200

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 2024

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 2024: 23.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 2024

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 2024: 92.

Dorset and its former districts in 2024

Dorset recorded 686 collisions in 2024, and 36% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 2024

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 2024, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 29 December 2024.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years