Where Is Worst As Winter Bites?

Mon 25th Jan 2021

As snow, ice and freezing temperatures make the UK’s road network more hazardous than ever, new data has revealed which cities have the most winter-related incidents.

There should be no surprises that the further north you go, the more accidents caused by the cold weather, with Glasgow showing the highest incidences of accidents by bad winter weather.

With rain and flooding added to the mix of snow and ice, Glasgow has seen 38 per cent of all accidents between December and March caused by the weather.

Manchester and Sheffield are next on the list, with Edinburgh strengthening Scotland’s grip on the cold comfort table.

Amazingly, London has seen a huge number of accidents by rain or flooding in the period 2015-2019 which was under the microscope, a massive 23,401 only accounts for 18.8 per cent of all accidents in the capital.

“Wintery conditions clearly account for a large portion of UK road accidents,” said Duncan Mclure Fisher, founder of MotorEasy who pulled together the data. 

“On average, more than 20 per cent of accidents occur on wet or icy roads, but for some cities the figures are even more alarming - jumping to nearly 30 per cent in Manchester and 40 per cent in Glasgow. 

“Having your car properly maintained and serviced can keep it in its best condition ahead of the winter months, and if you are involved in a bump or a scrape, repair plans can help with the cost.”

 

City

Accidents by rain/flooding

Accidents by snow/ice

As a % of all road accidents

Glasgow

1,906

106 

38.0% (5,301)

Manchester

1,213

31 

28.3% (4,389) 

Sheffield

1,376

82 

27.6% (5,284) 

Edinburgh

1,207 

78 

27.6% (4,657) 

Bristol

1,147 

38 

25.1% (4,727) 

Leeds

2,031 

123 

25.0% (8,615)

Birmingham

3,171 

152 

24.2% (13,718)

Bradford

1,102 

119 

23.4% (5,208) 

Liverpool

1,122 

25 

23.2% (4,936) 

London

23,401 

780 

18.8% (128,449) 

Source: MotorEasy analysis of Department for Transport and Office of National Statistics data