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CrashStats

A278 accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 367 collisions on the A278 from 1979 to 2025, with 493 casualties. Of those crashes, 6 were fatal and 50 serious, and 6 people were killed.

In 2025 there were 10 collisions on the A278, up 100% from 5 in 2024, with 18 casualties.

Live A278 closures, incidents and roadworks are checked every 5 minutes.

Collisions since 1979
367
2,413th highest of 4,923 roads
Casualties
493
1.34 per collision
Fatal collisions
6
6 people killed
Serious collisions
50
62 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
10
Up 100% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
18
Up 260% on 2024

Crash severity on the A278

On the A278, 1.6% of collisions were fatal and 14% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal61.6%
  • Serious5014%
  • Slight31185%

Where the A278 ranks among 4,923 roads

Most collisions
2,413th
Most casualties
2,437th
Most fatal collisions
2,299th
Most serious collisions
2,966th

A278 accidents by year

Collisions on the A278 peaked at 17 in 2022 and were down to 10 in 2025.

Collisions and casualties on the A278, 1979 to 2025

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20251018
202455
2023912
20221722
202168
2020712
201967
201845
2017811
2016410
20151520
2014810
2013510
20121013
20111015
201023
2009814
200812
2007811
20061011
200557
200479
200369
20021016
200177
200035
19991419
19981011
19971418
19961518
19951617
1994913
1993912
19921115
199145
199077
198978
198856
198744
1986813
198558
1984910
198311
198268
198122
1980910
19791116

When crashes happen on the A278

Thursday has the most collisions on the A278 (62), and 3pm to 6pm is the busiest time of day (87).

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday45 (12%)
  • Tuesday59 (16%)
  • Wednesday52 (14%)
  • Thursday62 (17%)
  • Friday51 (14%)
  • Saturday51 (14%)
  • Sunday47 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • Midnight to 3am14 (3.8%)
  • 3am to 6am7 (1.9%)
  • 6am to 9am44 (12%)
  • 9am to noon54 (15%)
  • Noon to 3pm68 (19%)
  • 3pm to 6pm87 (24%)
  • 6pm to 9pm66 (18%)
  • 9pm to midnight27 (7.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January24 (6.5%)
  • February29 (7.9%)
  • March27 (7.4%)
  • April32 (8.7%)
  • May24 (6.5%)
  • June26 (7.1%)
  • July27 (7.4%)
  • August28 (7.6%)
  • September35 (9.5%)
  • October33 (9%)
  • November43 (12%)
  • December39 (11%)

Light conditions at the time

  • Daylight261 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit57 (16%)
  • Dark, no street lighting40 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (1.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (1.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Road and weather conditions in A278 crashes

On the A278, 38% of collisions happened where the speed limit was 50 mph and 68% on a dry road surface.

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph63 (17%)
  • 40 mph20 (5.4%)
  • 50 mph140 (38%)
  • 60 mph66 (18%)
  • 70 mph78 (21%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds282 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds56 (15%)
  • Fog or mist6 (1.6%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.8%)
  • Other14 (3.8%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry250 (68%)
  • Wet or damp111 (30%)
  • Frost or ice6 (1.6%)

Type of road

  • Dual carriageway174 (47%)
  • Roundabout164 (45%)
  • Single carriageway24 (6.5%)
  • One way street or slip road3 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

People hurt and vehicles involved in A278 crashes

Car occupants make up 76% of the people killed or injured on the A278, followed by motorcyclists (13%).

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant375 (76%)
  • Motorcyclist62 (13%)
  • Cyclist24 (4.9%)
  • Pedestrian13 (2.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (1.2%)
  • Van occupant6 (1.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.6%)
  • Other4 (0.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car556 (79%)
  • Motorcycle64 (9.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes27 (3.8%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (3.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes19 (2.7%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.9%)
  • Bus or coach3 (0.4%)
  • Other4 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 53 (0.6%)
  • 6 to 108 (1.6%)
  • 11 to 159 (1.8%)
  • 16 to 2074 (15%)
  • 21 to 2571 (14%)
  • 26 to 3593 (19%)
  • 36 to 4578 (16%)
  • 46 to 5576 (15%)
  • 56 to 6532 (6.5%)
  • 66 to 7521 (4.3%)
  • Over 7514 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded14 (2.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider342 (69%)
  • Passenger138 (28%)
  • Pedestrian13 (2.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes on the A278

Map of the 25 most recent crashes on the A278

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

  • 25 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

A278 crashes by council area

Of the 367 collisions on the A278, 365 were in Medway.

Collisions on the A278 in each area, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stMedway365491649

A278 crashes by town

Of the 367 collisions on the A278, 169 were in the built-up area of Gillingham, Medway.

Recent crashes on the A278

These are the 25 most recent collisions on the A278, from 15 December 2022 to 20 November 2025.

Severity