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CrashStats

M40 accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 8,678 collisions on the M40 from 1979 to 2025, with 13,959 casualties. Of those crashes, 266 were fatal and 1,378 serious, and 314 people were killed.

In 2025 there were 90 collisions on the M40, level with 2024, with 142 casualties.

Live M40 closures, incidents and roadworks are checked every 5 minutes.

Collisions since 1979
8,678
95th highest of 4,923 roads
Casualties
13,959
1.61 per collision
Fatal collisions
266
314 people killed
Serious collisions
1,378
1,877 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
90
Level with 2024
Casualties in 2025
142
Up 3% on 2024

Crash severity on the M40

On the M40, 3.1% of collisions were fatal and 16% serious, against 1.6% and 18% across Great Britain.

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal2663.1%
  • Serious1,37816%
  • Slight7,03481%

Where the M40 ranks among 4,923 roads

Most collisions
95th
Most casualties
75th
Most fatal collisions
63rd
Most serious collisions
130th

M40 accidents by year

Collisions on the M40 peaked at 344 in 2007 and were down to 90 in 2025.

Collisions and casualties on the M40, 1979 to 2025

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 90
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202590142
202490138
202355105
202293130
202172103
202079122
2019126189
2018137217
2017155230
2016180297
2015165298
2014195314
2013178291
2012216382
2011248403
2010266437
2009256415
2008276427
2007344551
2006337533
2005308490
2004277441
2003277424
2002314488
2001331515
2000333569
1999321517
1998303493
1997284446
1996288470
1995273454
1994284483
1993261420
1992228409
1991236360
1990100138
198979117
198866102
198769119
198674126
19855891
198475136
19835075
19826399
19816083
19804359
197965111

When crashes happen on the M40

Friday has the most collisions on the M40 (1,423), and 3pm to 6pm is the busiest time of day (1,699).

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday1,207 (14%)
  • Tuesday1,095 (13%)
  • Wednesday1,119 (13%)
  • Thursday1,212 (14%)
  • Friday1,423 (16%)
  • Saturday1,267 (15%)
  • Sunday1,355 (16%)

Collisions by time of day

  • Midnight to 3am597 (6.9%)
  • 3am to 6am553 (6.4%)
  • 6am to 9am1,269 (15%)
  • 9am to noon1,196 (14%)
  • Noon to 3pm1,332 (15%)
  • 3pm to 6pm1,699 (20%)
  • 6pm to 9pm1,289 (15%)
  • 9pm to midnight743 (8.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January644 (7.4%)
  • February650 (7.5%)
  • March719 (8.3%)
  • April621 (7.2%)
  • May661 (7.6%)
  • June760 (8.8%)
  • July789 (9.1%)
  • August756 (8.7%)
  • September716 (8.3%)
  • October769 (8.9%)
  • November806 (9.3%)
  • December787 (9.1%)

Light conditions at the time

  • Daylight5,637 (65%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2,173 (25%)
  • Dark, street lights lit720 (8.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown116 (1.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit28 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded4 (under 0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Road and weather conditions in M40 crashes

On the M40, 97% of collisions happened where the speed limit was 70 mph and 68% on a dry road surface.

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 30 mph15 (0.2%)
  • 40 mph17 (0.2%)
  • 50 mph99 (1.1%)
  • 60 mph114 (1.3%)
  • 70 mph8,432 (97%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds6,783 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds1,082 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds197 (2.3%)
  • Fog or mist164 (1.9%)
  • Other382 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded70 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry5,893 (68%)
  • Wet or damp2,484 (29%)
  • Frost or ice152 (1.8%)
  • Snow55 (0.6%)
  • Other52 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded42 (0.5%)

Type of road

  • Dual carriageway8,114 (94%)
  • One way street or slip road416 (4.8%)
  • Roundabout97 (1.1%)
  • Single carriageway26 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded25 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

People hurt and vehicles involved in M40 crashes

Car occupants make up 82% of the people killed or injured on the M40, followed by van occupants (6.3%).

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant11,428 (82%)
  • Van occupant873 (6.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)719 (5.2%)
  • Motorcyclist336 (2.4%)
  • Minibus occupant242 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant133 (1%)
  • Pedestrian128 (0.9%)
  • Other100 (0.7%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car13,435 (76%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes2,405 (14%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes1,205 (6.8%)
  • Motorcycle336 (1.9%)
  • Bus or coach85 (0.5%)
  • Minibus81 (0.5%)
  • Other137 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded16 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5192 (1.4%)
  • 6 to 10255 (1.8%)
  • 11 to 15312 (2.2%)
  • 16 to 201,238 (8.9%)
  • 21 to 252,090 (15%)
  • 26 to 353,655 (26%)
  • 36 to 452,337 (17%)
  • 46 to 551,807 (13%)
  • 56 to 651,069 (7.7%)
  • 66 to 75511 (3.7%)
  • Over 75225 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded268 (1.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider8,863 (63%)
  • Passenger4,968 (36%)
  • Pedestrian128 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Map of recent crashes on the M40

Map of the 25 most recent crashes on the M40

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

  • 25 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

M40 crashes by council area

Collisions on the M40 were recorded in 6 council areas. Buckinghamshire has the most, with 3,544, followed by Cherwell (1,820) and South Oxfordshire (1,415).

Collisions on the M40 in each area, 1979 to 2025
RankAreaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stBuckinghamshire3,5445,54593534
2ndCherwell1,8202,99957247
3rdSouth Oxfordshire1,4152,30558241
4thWarwick9221,53728164
5thStratford-on-Avon8291,30825169
6thWest Northamptonshire141253522

M40 crashes by town

Collisions on the M40 were recorded in 7 towns and built-up areas, led by Bourne End and Flackwell Heath (242) and High Wycombe (116).

Recent crashes on the M40

These are the 25 most recent collisions on the M40, from 14 October to 27 December 2025.

Severity