Road Traffic Collision Data

Cambridgeshire Road Traffic Collision Data

This page outlines how road traffic collision data for Cambridgeshire can be obtained. If you require collision data for Peterborough, please contact: Jenny.Wright@peterborough.gov.uk.

Where does the data come from?

Road traffic collision records are provided to CCC by the police. The records are cleaned by CCC officers before being included in CCC’s road traffic collision database.  The dataset only includes collisions that meet the Department for Transport (DfT) STATS19 definition of a road traffic collision:

“Involves personal injury occurring on the public highway (including footways) in which at least one road vehicle or a vehicle in collision with a pedestrian is involved and which becomes known to the police within 30 days of its occurrence. Damage-only accidents, with no human casualties or accidents on private roads or car parks are not included.”

For further information about collision reporting and data collection, please refer to the Department for Transport STATS 19 and STATS 20 guidance.

How up to date is the data?

The road traffic collision data is available in two versions:

      1. The local dataset (provisional) which is updated on a weekly basis. This dataset includes the most recent records and provides the latest picture which is subject to change. The local dataset is available to view using the CCC Road Safety Dashboard and the data can be download from the Cambridgeshire Insight Open Data Portal or a request for data can made as detailed in the sections below. CCC officers can also view the data using the MapInfo Map Tree.
      2. The national dataset which is verified by DfT in summer/autumn each year for the previous calendar year. This dataset is more stable but doesn’t provide the latest picture due to being updated on an annual basis. DfT have currently verified data up to the end of 2023 and we expect the 2024 data to be verified in September 2025. The DfT-approved dataset is available to view on the DfT Road Safety Statistics webpage.

The key differences between the 2023 local and national datasets are summarised in the National and Local Road Traffic Collision Statistics note.

Which dataset should I use to prepare a Transport Assessment or Transport Statement?

A Transport Assessment or Transport Statement is sometimes required to support a planning application.  Where this is the case, it is likely to be necessary to obtain collision data for the most recent 5 year period. It is recommended that the local dataset is used to inform Transport Assessments and Transport Statements because the DfT’s national dataset does not cover the latest 9-20 months (depending on the time of year) whereas the local dataset is typically complete for all but the latest 2-3 months.

For the purposes of a Transport Assessment or Transport Statement, it is recommended that detailed data is obtained including collisions descriptions and contributory factors (now known as road safety factors). Collision descriptions and contributory factors may not be shared publicly so these data fields are not included in the publicly available dataset that is available to download. Instructions for requesting the detailed data (charges apply) are provided below.

How can I access the local dataset?

If you require up to date collision data (i.e. the local dataset), there are two ways to access this information:

1. Collision data download (free)

The local road traffic collision dataset (Cambridgeshire only) is available for immediate, free-of-charge download in Excel format on the Cambridgeshire Insight Open Data Portal. This data is also available to view in our Road Safety Dashboard, which includes a range of maps, tables and charts.

Please note, the data that is publicly available to download on the Open Data Portal:

      • is currently provisional for 2024/2025 and is therefore subject to change.
      • does not include collision descriptions or contributory factors / road safety factors – we are only permitted to share this information with parties engaged in accident investigation, accident remedial works and/or safety engineering.

If you are unable to download the data, please make a request to the CCC Policy & Insight team following the steps below.

2. Request collision data (charges apply)

If you are unable to download collision data from the Open Data Portal, you can make a request for data to the CCC Policy & Insight team. The provision of collision data is a chargeable service, unless you are working on behalf of CCC.

Charges:

From 1st April 2024, a £370+VAT standing charge will apply to all collision data requests that are fulfilled by the CCC Policy and Insight team on behalf of external parties. The standing charge covers the data query and the supply of the data in Excel and/or Shapefile format. The following extra fees will also apply where appropriate:

      • Larger requests exceeding 1,000 collisions (£106+VAT per additional 500 collisions).
      • Alternative data export formats (£425+VAT).
      • A labelled PDF map of collisions:
          • labelled PDF map of collisions: 
          • Up to 25 collisions: £370+VAT 
          • 26-50 collisions: £400+VAT 
          • 51-75 collisions: £425+VAT 
          • 76-100 collisions: £450+VAT 
          • 101-150 collisions: £475+VAT 
          • 151-200 collisions: £500+VAT 
          • 201-250 collisions: £530+VAT 
          • 251+ collisions: Not available.

Please note, we are only permitted to share collision descriptions or contributory factors with parties engaged in accident investigation, accident remedial works and/or safety engineering.

1. Check the collision data map

Please use the map available on our Road Safety Dashboard to view your area of interest and ascertain whether there are any collisions recorded. If there are no collisions on the map in your area of interest, we do not have a record of any personal injury collisions in this area since 2017.

2. Look at the charging structure

If there are collisions within your area of interest, you can request this data from the CCC Policy & Insight team for a fee. Please be sure to check if there are collisions in your area of interest before you send your request.

3. Request the data

Send your data request to policyandinsight@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

In your email, please state that you wish to purchase collision data and outline the following:

      • the date range you require data for (e.g. July 2019 to June 2021)
      • your area of interest – ideally defined by a polygon using a shapefile or DXF but an image or a detailed description is acceptable for smaller requests.
      • the format you wish to receive your data in – note that our standard format is an Excel spreadsheet and an additional charge is payable for other formats.
      • whether you require collision descriptions and contributory factors.
      • the purpose of your request – this is to establish whether the nature of your work is considered to relate to accident investigation, accident remedial works and/or safety engineering. We are only permitted to provide collision descriptions and contributory factors to parties engaged with this nature of work.
4. Quote

The Policy & Insight team will respond to your request with a quote. If you would like to proceed with purchasing the data, we will arrange for payment to be taken by credit/debit card.

5. Data provision

Once payment has been taken, we will provide you with your collision data in the format requested within 15 working days unless specified otherwise.

Cluster site analysis

Collision cluster site analysis is undertaken by CCC on an annual basis to identify locations on the public highway where a higher number of injury collisions are occurring. CCC define a collision cluster site as follows:

      • 6 or more injury collisions (any severity) within 100m or at a junction, in the most recent 3 calendar year period; or
      • 3 or more higher severity injury collisions (fatal or serious injuries) within 100m or at a junction, in the most recent 3 calendar year period.

The latest identified cluster sites can be viewed on Maps Cambridgeshire by selecting the “Transport and Streets” drop-down and ticking on the “Accident Clusters” layer. We aim to update the cluster analysis in Autumn/Winter each year.