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CrashStats

A197 accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,223 collisions on the A197 from 1979 to 2025, with 1,728 casualties. Of those crashes, 27 were fatal and 189 serious, and 28 people were killed.

In 2025 there were 5 collisions on the A197, down 50% from 10 in 2024, with 5 casualties.

Collisions since 1979
1,223
900th highest of 4,923 roads
Casualties
1,728
1.41 per collision
Fatal collisions
27
28 people killed
Serious collisions
189
229 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
5
Down 50% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
5
Down 55% on 2024

Crash severity on the A197

On the A197, 2.2% of collisions were fatal and 15% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal272.2%
  • Serious18915%
  • Slight1,00782%

Where the A197 ranks among 4,923 roads

Most collisions
900th
Most casualties
859th
Most fatal collisions
739th
Most serious collisions
1,104th

A197 accidents by year

Collisions on the A197 peaked at 50 in 1989 and were down to 5 in 2025.

Collisions and casualties on the A197, 1979 to 2025

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 5
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202555
20241011
20231010
20221016
20211416
2020912
2019811
20181113
20171014
20161519
20151420
20142327
20131524
20121821
20111925
20101723
20092034
20082337
20072045
20062950
20052943
20043255
20032437
20023355
20013658
20002840
19992229
19984569
19972733
19963553
19953147
19942436
19932332
19922536
19912944
19903545
19895078
19883442
19874762
19864047
19854152
19843755
19833643
19824256
19814262
19803540
19794146

When crashes happen on the A197

Friday has the most collisions on the A197 (222), and 3pm to 6pm is the busiest time of day (290).

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday161 (13%)
  • Tuesday181 (15%)
  • Wednesday187 (15%)
  • Thursday192 (16%)
  • Friday222 (18%)
  • Saturday172 (14%)
  • Sunday108 (8.8%)

Collisions by time of day

  • Midnight to 3am31 (2.5%)
  • 3am to 6am14 (1.1%)
  • 6am to 9am159 (13%)
  • 9am to noon194 (16%)
  • Noon to 3pm237 (19%)
  • 3pm to 6pm290 (24%)
  • 6pm to 9pm178 (15%)
  • 9pm to midnight120 (9.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January104 (8.5%)
  • February86 (7%)
  • March87 (7.1%)
  • April87 (7.1%)
  • May105 (8.6%)
  • June93 (7.6%)
  • July99 (8.1%)
  • August107 (8.7%)
  • September100 (8.2%)
  • October114 (9.3%)
  • November133 (11%)
  • December108 (8.8%)

Light conditions at the time

  • Daylight895 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit223 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting80 (6.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit15 (1.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown10 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Road and weather conditions in A197 crashes

On the A197, 60% of collisions happened where the speed limit was 30 mph and 58% on a dry road surface.

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph734 (60%)
  • 40 mph65 (5.3%)
  • 50 mph41 (3.4%)
  • 60 mph375 (31%)
  • 70 mph6 (0.5%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds950 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds155 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds36 (2.9%)
  • Raining with high winds22 (1.8%)
  • Other57 (4.7%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry708 (58%)
  • Wet or damp446 (36%)
  • Frost or ice44 (3.6%)
  • Snow19 (1.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,077 (88%)
  • Roundabout119 (9.7%)
  • Dual carriageway21 (1.7%)
  • One way street or slip road2 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

People hurt and vehicles involved in A197 crashes

Car occupants make up 63% of the people killed or injured on the A197, followed by pedestrians (12%).

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,091 (63%)
  • Pedestrian205 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist175 (10%)
  • Cyclist101 (5.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant77 (4.5%)
  • Van occupant37 (2.1%)
  • Other41 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,635 (75%)
  • Motorcycle178 (8.2%)
  • Pedal cycle107 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach90 (4.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes82 (3.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes42 (1.9%)
  • Other45 (2.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 538 (2.2%)
  • 6 to 1062 (3.6%)
  • 11 to 1573 (4.2%)
  • 16 to 20304 (18%)
  • 21 to 25246 (14%)
  • 26 to 35312 (18%)
  • 36 to 45243 (14%)
  • 46 to 55175 (10%)
  • 56 to 65127 (7.3%)
  • 66 to 7581 (4.7%)
  • Over 7566 (3.8%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,033 (60%)
  • Passenger490 (28%)
  • Pedestrian205 (12%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes on the A197

Map of the 25 most recent crashes on the A197

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

  • 25 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

A197 crashes by council area

Of the 1,223 collisions on the A197, 1,218 were in Northumberland.

Collisions on the A197 in each area, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stNorthumberland1,2181,72227187

A197 crashes by town

Collisions on the A197 were recorded in 4 towns and built-up areas, led by Ashington, Northumberland (272) and Morpeth (168).

Recent crashes on the A197

These are the 25 most recent collisions on the A197, from 13 January 2023 to 22 December 2025.

Severity