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CrashStats

B481 accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 672 collisions on the B481 from 1979 to 2025, with 954 casualties. Of those crashes, 11 were fatal and 133 serious, and 11 people were killed.

In 2025 there were 4 collisions on the B481, level with 2024, with 7 casualties.

Collisions since 1979
672
1,546th highest of 4,923 roads
Casualties
954
1.42 per collision
Fatal collisions
11
11 people killed
Serious collisions
133
158 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
4
Level with 2024
Casualties in 2025
7
Level with 2024

Crash severity on the B481

On the B481, 1.6% of collisions were fatal and 20% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal111.6%
  • Serious13320%
  • Slight52879%

Where the B481 ranks among 4,923 roads

Most collisions
1,546th
Most casualties
1,489th
Most fatal collisions
1,595th
Most serious collisions
1,517th

B481 accidents by year

Collisions on the B481 peaked at 30 in 1990 and were down to 4 in 2025.

Collisions and casualties on the B481, 1979 to 2025

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 4
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202547
202447
202367
202233
202134
202056
2019910
201833
201735
20161115
201578
20141926
20131419
20121113
20111316
201089
20091119
200833
20071421
20061421
20051418
20041523
20031115
20021419
2001914
20001012
19991727
19982129
19971828
19962734
19952627
19941017
19932338
19922947
19912133
19903048
19892132
19881723
19871829
19862943
19851924
19841827
19831828
19822229
19811827
19801316
19791925

When crashes happen on the B481

Friday has the most collisions on the B481 (119), and 3pm to 6pm is the busiest time of day (127).

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday102 (15%)
  • Tuesday99 (15%)
  • Wednesday83 (12%)
  • Thursday95 (14%)
  • Friday119 (18%)
  • Saturday93 (14%)
  • Sunday81 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • Midnight to 3am27 (4%)
  • 3am to 6am7 (1%)
  • 6am to 9am115 (17%)
  • 9am to noon107 (16%)
  • Noon to 3pm101 (15%)
  • 3pm to 6pm127 (19%)
  • 6pm to 9pm122 (18%)
  • 9pm to midnight66 (9.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January53 (7.9%)
  • February52 (7.7%)
  • March53 (7.9%)
  • April45 (6.7%)
  • May60 (8.9%)
  • June43 (6.4%)
  • July57 (8.5%)
  • August39 (5.8%)
  • September64 (9.5%)
  • October71 (11%)
  • November67 (10%)
  • December68 (10%)

Light conditions at the time

  • Daylight461 (69%)
  • Dark, no street lighting128 (19%)
  • Dark, street lights lit76 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Road and weather conditions in B481 crashes

On the B481, 53% of collisions happened where the speed limit was 30 mph and 57% on a dry road surface.

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph359 (53%)
  • 40 mph23 (3.4%)
  • 50 mph4 (0.6%)
  • 60 mph285 (42%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds495 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds100 (15%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (2.1%)
  • Fine with high winds12 (1.8%)
  • Other48 (7.1%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry384 (57%)
  • Wet or damp257 (38%)
  • Frost or ice23 (3.4%)
  • Snow5 (0.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway653 (97%)
  • Roundabout11 (1.6%)
  • Dual carriageway7 (1%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

People hurt and vehicles involved in B481 crashes

Car occupants make up 69% of the people killed or injured on the B481, followed by motorcyclists (13%).

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant656 (69%)
  • Motorcyclist122 (13%)
  • Cyclist82 (8.6%)
  • Pedestrian58 (6.1%)
  • Van occupant18 (1.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)6 (0.6%)
  • Other6 (0.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car937 (75%)
  • Motorcycle120 (9.6%)
  • Pedal cycle88 (7.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes37 (3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes29 (2.3%)
  • Other vehicle16 (1.3%)
  • Other19 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (0.8%)
  • 6 to 1033 (3.5%)
  • 11 to 1543 (4.5%)
  • 16 to 20207 (22%)
  • 21 to 25132 (14%)
  • 26 to 35150 (16%)
  • 36 to 45130 (14%)
  • 46 to 5592 (9.6%)
  • 56 to 6559 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7546 (4.8%)
  • Over 7527 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded27 (2.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider682 (71%)
  • Passenger214 (22%)
  • Pedestrian58 (6.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes on the B481

Map of the 25 most recent crashes on the B481

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

  • 25 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

B481 crashes by council area

Collisions on the B481 were recorded in 2 council areas. South Oxfordshire has the most, with 438, followed by Reading (234).

Collisions on the B481 in each area, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stSouth Oxfordshire438646889
2ndReading234308344

B481 crashes by town

Collisions on the B481 were recorded in 2 towns and built-up areas, led by Caversham (234) and Sonning Common (91).

Recent crashes on the B481

These are the 25 most recent collisions on the B481, from 21 February 2020 to 21 November 2025.

Severity