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CrashStats

M3 road accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 4,407 road traffic collisions in the M3 postcode district, Manchester, from 1979 to 2025, and 5,751 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 34 were fatal and 439 were serious.

In 2025 police recorded 42 collisions, down 13% on 2024 (48).

Collisions since 1979
4,407
733rd highest of 2,813 postcode districts
Casualties
5,751
1.30 per collision
Fatal collisions
34
35 people killed
Serious collisions
439
484 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
42
Down 13% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
45
Down 15% on 2024

Road collision statistics for M3

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal340.8%
  • Serious43910%
  • Slight3,93489%

What the data shows

  • M3 had 420 collisions from 2016 to 2025, 28% fewer than the 585 from 2006 to 2015.
  • 11% of collisions in M3 were fatal or serious, against 20% across Great Britain.
  • 353 children under 16 were killed or injured in M3, 6.1% of the casualties whose age was recorded.
  • The road surface was wet, icy, snowy or flooded in 35% of collisions in M3.

Where M3 ranks among 2,813 postcode districts

Most collisions
733rd
Most casualties
767th
Most fatal collisions
1,719th
Most serious collisions
1,663rd

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday635 (14%)
  • Tuesday670 (15%)
  • Wednesday648 (15%)
  • Thursday694 (16%)
  • Friday766 (17%)
  • Saturday568 (13%)
  • Sunday426 (9.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,999 (68%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,322 (30%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown43 (1%)
  • Dark, no street lighting26 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit17 (0.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway3,152 (72%)
  • Dual carriageway960 (22%)
  • One way street or slip road161 (3.7%)
  • Roundabout17 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded117 (2.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph47 (1.1%)
  • 30 mph4,293 (97%)
  • 40 mph64 (1.5%)
  • 50 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 60 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds3,417 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds718 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds69 (1.6%)
  • Raining with high winds56 (1.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds11 (0.2%)
  • Fog or mist8 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds6 (0.1%)
  • Other51 (1.2%)
  • Not recorded71 (1.6%)

Who was hurt

  • Car occupant2,828 (49%)
  • Pedestrian1,414 (25%)
  • Cyclist468 (8.1%)
  • Motorcyclist453 (7.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant204 (3.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant188 (3.3%)
  • Van occupant109 (1.9%)
  • Minibus occupant31 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant28 (0.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)20 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded8 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

M3 road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in M3, 1979 to 2025

Collisions in M3 peaked at 157 in 1994; 2025 had 42.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 42
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20254245
20244853
20233543
20224043
20213745
20202738
20196484
20184757
20174661
20163444
20154355
20145378
20134256
20123961
20114961
20105581
20096595
200885117
200776113
200678100
200598135
2004109156
2003113153
2002111173
2001131176
2000137196
1999113174
1998133183
1997140201
1996127178
1995150216
1994157221
1993130177
1992145184
1991128164
1990122159
1989154186
1988130155
1987106130
1986119138
1985121129
1984115125
1983129155
1982141159
1981105129
1980121133
1979117136

Map of recent crashes in M3

Map of the 24 most recent crashes in M3

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Recent road crashes in M3

The 24 most recent collisions in M3 happened between 22 June and 27 December 2025.

Severity

Crashes by road in M3

The A56 has the most collisions in M3, 1,353 of 4,407 (31%), followed by the A6 (660).

Collisions in M3 on each road, 1979 to 2025
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA561,3531,74012133
2ndA6660873765
3rdA34517664051
4thA6042440636448
5thA6041175246317
6thA6143144178110
7thA5066142179120
8thA57132171212
9thA665649326
10thB5225618603
11thB6469212300
12thB5461111302
13thB61817900
14thA5763401

Council areas covering M3

Collisions in M3 were recorded in 3 council areas. Manchester has 2,987 of 4,407 (68%).

Collisions in M3 by council area, 1979 to 2025
RankCouncil areaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stManchester2,9873,84820269
2ndSalford1,4121,89414169
3rdTameside5601

Towns in M3

Collisions in M3 were recorded in 2 towns, led by Manchester (2,750) and Salford (1,297).