Road traffic collision map

Road traffic collision data is typically 2 to 3 months in arrears due to the data validation process.

Only road traffic collisions reported to Dorset Police that occurred on the highway network and resulted in personal injury to any person(s) involved are included in this database. For a more detailed definition of road traffic collisions, see the Collision data explained section.

Collision data requests

The data and mapping is not authorised for commercial use by third parties. If you need collision data, for example, to support a planning application or feasibility study, you can complete our collision data request form. The following charges apply:

• £104 + VAT per collision location plot
• £129 + VAT per collision details report per area

Casualty statistics

For an overview of road traffic casualties for the Dorset Council area, see our casualty statistics page.

Collision data explained

The road traffic collision data

All road accidents involving human death or personal injury occurring on the Highway and notified to the police within 30 days of occurrence, and in which one or more vehicles are involved, are to be reported.

Examples of accidents to be reported include:

• collisions which commence on the highway but which involve casualties off the highway (e.g. where a vehicle runs out of control while on the highway and causes casualties elsewhere)
• collisions involving the boarding and alighting of buses or coaches and accidents in which passengers already aboard a bus/coach are injured, whether or not another vehicle or a pedestrian is involved
• collisions to pedal cyclists or horse riders, where they injure themselves or a pedestrian
• collisions resulting from deliberate acts of violence, but excluding casualties who are subsequently identified as confirmed suicides
• collisions within bus stations/interchanges where they form part of the highway
• collisions in Royal Parks (on roads to which the public have motor vehicle access)

Examples of accidents which should not be reported include:

• collisions which do not involve personal injury
• collisions on private roads (except Royal Parks) or in car parks
• collisions reported to the police 30 or more days after they occurred
• collisions involving confirmed suicides only

Collision categories

Road traffic collisions are categorised based on the most severe casualty. For example if a collision results in a total of 4 casualties, 1 serious and 3 slight then the collision will be categorised as serious.

Fatal

Road traffic collision resulting in death to any person(s) involved within 30 days as a result of the collision rather than through natural causes, suicide or any other reason not connected with the collision.

Serious

A road traffic collision is categorised as serious when one or more of the casualties has:

• any fractured bone
• internal injuries
• severe cuts
• crushing injuries
• burns (excluding friction burns)
• severe general shock requiring hospital treatment
• detention in hospital as in-patient (immediate or later)
• fatal injuries where the death occurs 30 or more days after the collision

Slight

A road traffic collision is categorised as slight where one or more of the casualties has:

• bruises
• light cuts
• slight sprains including neck whiplash
• slight shock requiring roadside treatment

Casualties to be reported

Any persons killed or injured in a road accident, including:

• a person who moves quickly to avoid being involved in an accident, is successful in that, but in doing so incurs an injury (for example twists an ankle). Also includes occupant of vehicle which manoeuvres or brakes suddenly to avoid an impact, but in so doing sustains an injury
• a pedestrian who injures themselves on a parked vehicle
• a person who is injured after falling from a vehicle
• a person who is injured boarding or alighting a bus or coach
• a person injured whilst aboard a bus or coach, whether or not another vehicle is involved
• a person who is injured away from the carriageway as a result of an accident which commenced on the public highway
• all casualties in accidents arising from deliberate acts of violence involving a vehicle

Excluding:

• death or injury to babies unborn up to the time of the accident
• person injured in a road accident as a result of illness (for example fit) immediately prior to the accident, where injury is deemed to be a result of the illness rather than the road accident. All other casualties involved in the accident should be included
• person who dies in a road accident from natural causes (for example heart attack) and whose death is not ascribed by the Coroner's Court (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) to have been a result of the accident. Other casualties in these accidents should be reported
• confirmed suicides. Other casualties in these accidents should be reported. Injured persons suspected of having attempted suicide should be reported
• any person who witnesses an accident and suffers shock but who is not directly involved

Vehicles to be reported

Vehicle details, regardless of whether the vehicle was damaged or not, are required for each vehicle which was involved in, or contributed to, an injury accident. This includes pedal cycles, ridden horses and horse-drawn vehicles.

Including vehicles:

• in which driver/rider/passenger was injured
• which suffered damage in the accident
• which caused injury to a pedestrian (including parked vehicles on or off the carriageway into which a pedestrian walked)
• which were in collision with another vehicle in the accident
• which did not suffer damage, nor caused nor contained casualties, but which contributed to the accident (includes parked, stationary, temporarily held-up or moving vehicles)

Highway responsibility

Road traffic collisions are recorded for the whole of the highway network within the Dorset Council area.  Dorset Council is responsible of all adopted highway within the Dorset Council area with the exception of the trunk road network.

The trunk road network is the responsibility of the Highways Agency.  The trunk road network in Dorset is the A35 from the border with Devon (Raymond's Hill) to Bere Regis, the A31 from Bere Regis to the border with Hampshire (Ringwood) and short section of the A303 in North Dorset, near Bourton.  During 2018 collisions occurring on the trunk road network within the Dorset Council area accounted for just over 19% of all collisions in the Dorset Council area.

How Dorset Council uses collision data

Collision cluster analysis

Each year the Dorset Highways section of Dorset Council search for and analyse collision cluster sites using the latest 5 calendar years.

Engineering measures are considered for sites that meet criteria (at least 5 collisions within a 30m radius) where a common collision trend has been identified.

Some sites identified in the initial search (at least 5 collisions within a 30m radius) may not be considered for engineering measures because there was no common collision trend identified.

Collision cluster sites identified for engineering work are split into two areas, small scale and large scale. 

Cluster sites, both small and large scale, are prioritised by greatest need (number of collisions).

Small scale schemes are relatively low cost solutions, for example signing and lining improvements or low cost maintenance of a site. Despite being relatively low in cost, can be restricted by reduced budgets and available resources meaning that completing engineering measures at all identified small scale site is unlikely to be achieved in one financial year therefore budgets are allocated appropriately to sites with the greatest need (number of collisions).

Large scale schemes typically involve a fundamental change to the highway.  Such schemes generally cost in excess of £50,000 and will be included and appropriately prioritised in the Local Transport Plan improvement schemes.

A collision cluster site may have an identified large scale engineering solution but Dorset Highways may not have the required budget to undertake the scheme within the current financial year.

Route analysis

Each year the Dorset Highways section of Dorset Council analyse collision data for the latest 5 calendar years on over 100 routes across the Dorset Council area - excludes the trunk road network (see 'Highway responsibility' section).

Routes are ranked based on their collision rate (number of collision per mile); the 10 routes with the highest collision rate are then subject to a detailed analysis.  If a common collision trend is identified then appropriate measures will be considered by Dorset Highways to reduce/prevent collision from occurring. Measures may not be engineering improvements in isolation.

Maintenance of existing infrastructure would be a consideration as would partnership working with Dorset Police on targeted traffic enforcement, if illegal and/or dangerous/careless driving is identified as a common contributory factor.

Often the fundamental characteristics of a route, particularly rural routes, are difficult to change without great expenditure, for example privately owned land may be required to complete a desired treatment of carriageway widening and the cost of doing this may prove to be prohibitive and time consuming. 

Some route schemes may include ensuring consistency to signing and lining along the length of a route to help provide road users with a consistent and reliable message whilst using a route. Such schemes, although lower in cost than large scale schemes that seek to fundamentally change the road layout may still prove difficult to fund, particularly on longer routes.

Although route treatments remain a consideration, due to the level of funding required such schemes are difficult to progress with reduced budgets.