- Website maps open source accident data into interactive map
- Users can see the most dangerous roads around them.
- Collisions are classified according to their severity.
Cyclists, pedestrians and careful drivers might find the data offered by interactive online mapping service RoadRisk invaluable when trying to plan the safest routes to get from A to B.
The online tool, which uses OpenStreetMap as its core and STATS19 accident reports from police forces in England, Scotland or Wales, conveniently plots all collision data from the year 2000 to 2025 on one easy-to-navigate map.
Simply enter a postcode and the website will reveal all accident data for around 350 local authorities over the last 25 years, colour-coding each according to the severity of the collision: minor, serious and fatal.
Not only can you see the most dangerous routes in your area or at a proposed location, but you can also drill down into the data to see date, time, location, road and junction details, weather and surface conditions, as well as complete records for each vehicle and victim involved.
STATS19 data does not contain names, addresses, telephone numbers or vehicle registration details, and only age, sex and an area-level deprivation score are provided.
Interestingly, the site’s home page also lists the worst roads for fatal accidents (which will be the A38) and the worst local authorities for collisions, which is Birmingham.
RoadRisk says the UK Department for Transport typically releases each year’s accident data around September of the following year, with maps updated shortly after each release.
RoadRisk is an interesting proposition and while you can’t plan a route using the software and navigate the “safest” roads, it’s a great tool for spotting accident hotspots in the local area.
As a parent of children old enough to walk to school alone, it was interesting to explore the roads near me with the highest accident rates. More interestingly, many of them involved people between the ages of 11 and 15.
Those shocking results supported my decision to accompany them through some of the most dangerous routes before seeing them off in the mornings.
Similarly, there are a number of roads in my local area that appear to be hotspots for cyclist collisions, which could well inform the next route you take into the city.
What’s more, RoadRisk says anyone can use the data to cite statistics, take screenshots, and use the information for any purpose – a boon for anyone lobbying local authorities for safer roads.
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