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CrashStats

A686 accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 915 collisions on the A686 from 1979 to 2025, with 1,316 casualties. Of those crashes, 30 were fatal and 291 serious, and 34 people were killed.

In 2025 there were 13 collisions on the A686, up 86% from 7 in 2024, with 15 casualties.

Collisions since 1979
915
1,181st highest of 4,923 roads
Casualties
1,316
1.44 per collision
Fatal collisions
30
34 people killed
Serious collisions
291
338 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
13
Up 86% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
15
Up 67% on 2024

Crash severity on the A686

On the A686, 3.3% of collisions were fatal and 32% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal303.3%
  • Serious29132%
  • Slight59465%

Where the A686 ranks among 4,923 roads

Most collisions
1,181st
Most casualties
1,123rd
Most fatal collisions
680th
Most serious collisions
737th

A686 accidents by year

Collisions on the A686 peaked at 43 in 2004 and were down to 13 in 2025.

Collisions and casualties on the A686, 1979 to 2025

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 13
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20251315
202479
202389
20221320
20211314
20201114
201957
20181011
20171521
20161726
20151215
20141117
20131928
20121317
20112329
20102431
20092941
20082232
20072634
20063442
20053853
20044357
20033042
20024159
20012231
20002936
19992343
19981935
19972637
19962846
19952542
19942740
19932232
19922127
19913040
19901521
19891727
19881322
19871116
19861223
19851219
1984810
19831423
19821018
19811727
19802128
19791630

When crashes happen on the A686

Sunday has the most collisions on the A686 (242), and noon to 3pm is the busiest time of day (251).

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday99 (11%)
  • Tuesday97 (11%)
  • Wednesday93 (10%)
  • Thursday82 (9%)
  • Friday123 (13%)
  • Saturday179 (20%)
  • Sunday242 (26%)

Collisions by time of day

  • Midnight to 3am24 (2.6%)
  • 3am to 6am13 (1.4%)
  • 6am to 9am68 (7.4%)
  • 9am to noon152 (17%)
  • Noon to 3pm251 (27%)
  • 3pm to 6pm237 (26%)
  • 6pm to 9pm127 (14%)
  • 9pm to midnight43 (4.7%)

Collisions by month

  • January49 (5.4%)
  • February38 (4.2%)
  • March39 (4.3%)
  • April80 (8.7%)
  • May104 (11%)
  • June104 (11%)
  • July117 (13%)
  • August107 (12%)
  • September98 (11%)
  • October63 (6.9%)
  • November61 (6.7%)
  • December55 (6%)

Light conditions at the time

  • Daylight757 (83%)
  • Dark, no street lighting135 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit19 (2.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Road and weather conditions in A686 crashes

On the A686, 83% of collisions happened where the speed limit was 60 mph and 62% on a dry road surface.

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph70 (7.7%)
  • 40 mph27 (3%)
  • 50 mph35 (3.8%)
  • 60 mph763 (83%)
  • 70 mph20 (2.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds703 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds114 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds29 (3.2%)
  • Raining with high winds23 (2.5%)
  • Other40 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry564 (62%)
  • Wet or damp299 (33%)
  • Frost or ice38 (4.2%)
  • Snow11 (1.2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)
  • Mud1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway903 (99%)
  • Roundabout7 (0.8%)
  • Dual carriageway4 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

People hurt and vehicles involved in A686 crashes

Car occupants make up 61% of the people killed or injured on the A686, followed by motorcyclists (30%).

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant804 (61%)
  • Motorcyclist389 (30%)
  • Van occupant38 (2.9%)
  • Cyclist30 (2.3%)
  • Pedestrian20 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)14 (1.1%)
  • Minibus occupant10 (0.8%)
  • Other11 (0.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car865 (61%)
  • Motorcycle390 (28%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes58 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes43 (3%)
  • Pedal cycle30 (2.1%)
  • Other vehicle8 (0.6%)
  • Other23 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (1%)
  • 6 to 1023 (1.7%)
  • 11 to 1532 (2.4%)
  • 16 to 20203 (15%)
  • 21 to 25173 (13%)
  • 26 to 35289 (22%)
  • 36 to 45244 (19%)
  • 46 to 55140 (11%)
  • 56 to 65109 (8.3%)
  • 66 to 7553 (4%)
  • Over 7534 (2.6%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider913 (69%)
  • Passenger383 (29%)
  • Pedestrian20 (1.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes on the A686

Map of the 25 most recent crashes on the A686

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

  • 25 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

A686 crashes by council area

Collisions on the A686 were recorded in 3 council areas. Westmorland and Furness has the most, with 673, followed by Northumberland (229) and Cumberland (6).

Collisions on the A686 in each area, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stWestmorland and Furness67393824205
2ndNorthumberland229353683
3rdCumberland61401

A686 crashes by town

Of the 915 collisions on the A686, 28 were in the built-up area of Penrith.

Recent crashes on the A686

These are the 25 most recent collisions on the A686, from 13 May 2023 to 30 December 2025.

Severity