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CrashStats

M6 road accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 5,189 road traffic collisions in the M6 postcode district, Salford, from 1979 to 2025, and 6,885 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 73 were fatal and 662 were serious.

In 2025 police recorded 28 collisions, down 13% on 2024 (32).

Collisions since 1979
5,189
510th highest of 2,813 postcode districts
Casualties
6,885
1.33 per collision
Fatal collisions
73
76 people killed
Serious collisions
662
715 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
28
Down 13% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
33
Down 3% on 2024

Road collision statistics for M6

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal731.4%
  • Serious66213%
  • Slight4,45486%

What the data shows

  • M6 had 400 collisions from 2016 to 2025, 35% fewer than the 611 from 2006 to 2015.
  • 14% of collisions in M6 were fatal or serious, against 20% across Great Britain.
  • 1,252 children under 16 were killed or injured in M6, 18% of the casualties whose age was recorded.
  • The road surface was wet, icy, snowy or flooded in 36% of collisions in M6.

Where M6 ranks among 2,813 postcode districts

Most collisions
510th
Most casualties
508th
Most fatal collisions
622nd
Most serious collisions
1,040th

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday781 (15%)
  • Tuesday791 (15%)
  • Wednesday756 (15%)
  • Thursday848 (16%)
  • Friday865 (17%)
  • Saturday645 (12%)
  • Sunday503 (9.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight3,769 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,330 (26%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown48 (0.9%)
  • Dark, no street lighting25 (0.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit17 (0.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway3,634 (70%)
  • Dual carriageway1,014 (20%)
  • Roundabout339 (6.5%)
  • One way street or slip road102 (2%)
  • Not recorded100 (1.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph28 (0.5%)
  • 30 mph4,550 (88%)
  • 40 mph259 (5%)
  • 50 mph316 (6.1%)
  • 60 mph4 (0.1%)
  • 70 mph30 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded2 (under 0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds4,054 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds791 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds93 (1.8%)
  • Raining with high winds71 (1.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds27 (0.5%)
  • Fog or mist22 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds6 (0.1%)
  • Other55 (1.1%)
  • Not recorded70 (1.3%)

Who was hurt

  • Car occupant3,540 (51%)
  • Pedestrian1,559 (23%)
  • Cyclist660 (9.6%)
  • Motorcyclist482 (7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant286 (4.2%)
  • Van occupant172 (2.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant106 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant28 (0.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)25 (0.4%)
  • Minibus occupant23 (0.3%)
  • Other1 (under 0.1%)
  • Not recorded3 (under 0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

M6 road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in M6, 1979 to 2025

Collisions in M6 peaked at 193 in 1994; 2025 had 28.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 28
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20252833
20243234
20233239
20221825
20213343
20204164
20195169
20186682
20176380
20163650
20152329
20145273
20134654
20124962
20116884
20106489
200971112
200886111
20076685
200686114
200596122
200491119
2003116182
2002123164
2001144201
2000143203
1999185295
1998171237
1997178252
1996182289
1995189274
1994193262
1993163229
1992184244
1991180235
1990186243
1989167218
1988179218
1987157201
1986141183
1985118147
1984142168
1983132153
1982162194
1981153176
1980142167
1979161177

Map of recent crashes in M6

Map of the 24 most recent crashes in M6

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Recent road crashes in M6

The 24 most recent collisions in M6 happened between 13 February and 15 December 2025.

Severity

Crashes by road in M6

The A576 has the most collisions in M6, 1,183 of 5,189 (23%), followed by the A6 (724).

Collisions in M6 on each road, 1979 to 2025
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA5761,1831,57017155
2ndA67241,0651688
3rdA5186299376440
4thA5185255361223
5thA580144232712
6thB6186128172221
7thB522884103010
8thB5227283317
9thM602274002
10thA666232601
11thA5063192304
12thA57151711
13thA5758911
14thA6766700
15thB52294500

Council areas covering M6

Collisions in M6 were recorded in 4 council areas. Salford has 5,170 of 5,189 (99.6%).

Collisions in M6 by council area, 1979 to 2025
RankCouncil areaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stSalford5,1706,86571658
2ndManchester91012
3rdBury5500
4thRochdale3311

Towns in M6

Collisions in M6 were recorded in 3 towns, led by Salford (4,547) and Eccles, Salford (40).