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CrashStats

Chelmsford road accidents: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 10,429 road traffic collisions in Chelmsford from 1979 to 2025, and 12,741 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 98 were fatal and 2,076 were serious.

In 2025 police recorded 131 collisions, up 19% on 2024 (110).

Collisions since 1979
10,429
111th highest of 2,851 towns
Casualties
12,741
1.22 per collision
Fatal collisions
98
103 people killed
Serious collisions
2,076
2,230 seriously injured
Collisions in 2025
131
Up 19% on 2024
Casualties in 2025
145
Up 7% on 2024

Road collision statistics for Chelmsford

Collisions by severity, 1979 to 2025

  • Fatal980.9%
  • Serious2,07620%
  • Slight8,25579%

What the data shows

  • Chelmsford had 1,216 collisions from 2016 to 2025, 34% fewer than the 1,847 from 2006 to 2015.
  • 21% of collisions in Chelmsford were fatal or serious, against 20% across Great Britain.
  • 1,490 children under 16 were killed or injured in Chelmsford, 12% of the casualties whose age was recorded.
  • The road surface was wet, icy, snowy or flooded in 31% of collisions in Chelmsford.

Where Chelmsford ranks among 2,851 towns

Most collisions
111th
Most casualties
115th
Most fatal collisions
123rd
Most serious collisions
94th

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday1,504 (14%)
  • Tuesday1,610 (15%)
  • Wednesday1,617 (16%)
  • Thursday1,608 (15%)
  • Friday1,777 (17%)
  • Saturday1,321 (13%)
  • Sunday992 (9.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight7,598 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit2,618 (25%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown88 (0.8%)
  • Dark, no street lighting88 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit37 (0.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway7,837 (75%)
  • Roundabout1,132 (11%)
  • Dual carriageway956 (9.2%)
  • One way street or slip road461 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded43 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph2 (under 0.1%)
  • 20 mph66 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph7,508 (72%)
  • 40 mph2,043 (20%)
  • 50 mph406 (3.9%)
  • 60 mph260 (2.5%)
  • 70 mph144 (1.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds8,435 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds1,343 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds118 (1.1%)
  • Raining with high winds97 (0.9%)
  • Fog or mist62 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds37 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds10 (0.1%)
  • Other260 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded67 (0.6%)

Who was hurt

  • Car occupant6,004 (47%)
  • Motorcyclist2,076 (16%)
  • Pedestrian2,053 (16%)
  • Cyclist1,961 (15%)
  • Van occupant235 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant205 (1.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant62 (0.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)52 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant37 (0.3%)
  • Minibus occupant25 (0.2%)
  • Other9 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded22 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Chelmsford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Chelmsford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions in Chelmsford peaked at 359 in 1988; 2025 had 131.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2025: 131
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025131145
2024110135
2023142160
2022133161
2021100121
202097118
2019119131
2018127150
2017134155
2016123139
2015156171
2014158183
2013155176
2012177211
2011190240
2010182220
2009171202
2008203238
2007212259
2006243286
2005227281
2004251309
2003226274
2002229284
2001226263
2000256316
1999252325
1998258314
1997259313
1996220267
1995230284
1994282351
1993252312
1992256319
1991235303
1990292396
1989331408
1988359493
1987349420
1986287359
1985341416
1984304378
1983292353
1982291349
1981291354
1980280348
1979290351

Map of recent crashes in Chelmsford

Map of the 24 most recent crashes in Chelmsford

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Recent road crashes in Chelmsford

The 24 most recent collisions in Chelmsford happened between 15 November and 31 December 2025.

Severity

Crashes by road in Chelmsford

The A138 has the most collisions in Chelmsford, 713 of 10,429 (6.8%), followed by the A130 (668).

Collisions in Chelmsford on each road, 1979 to 2025
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1387139134100
2ndA13066884811150
3rdA10995356313100
4thB1008516613285
5thA10164986506111
6thA1060489677792
7thB1007442515575
8thB1009417502691
9thA414394497482
10thA12256361787
11thA122255333758
12thA1114242290343
13thA1113241302363
14thB1137220273353
15thA1145501
16thA10093301
17thB10993400

Council areas covering Chelmsford

Collisions in Chelmsford were recorded in 2 council areas. Chelmsford has 10,423 of 10,429 (99.9%).

Collisions in Chelmsford by council area, 1979 to 2025
RankCouncil areaCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stChelmsford10,42312,734982,072
2ndMaldon3302

Postcode districts in Chelmsford

Collisions in Chelmsford were recorded in 4 postcode districts, led by CM2 (5,400) and CM1 (5,009).