Wiltshire A roads where crashes are most likely to happen

A Freedom of Information request to Wiltshire Police asked for the number and severity of 'road traffic accidents' (RTAs) on the A303, A36, A30, A360, A350, A345, A354, and the A338 over the past year. 

Wiltshire Police's Force Disclosure Unit has now responded with the most recent data it can provide, specifically from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023. 

Most fatal accidents

According to the police's results, there were six fatal incidents in this period, three of which were on the A345 - which runs from Salisbury to Marlborough and the A4. 

One such tragedy in October 2023 was the death of Mark Hillier, a watch manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. 

He was killed in a crash near his home in Pewsey when his Suzuki Grand Vitara collided with a BMW X3 travelling in the opposite direction.

Mark Hillier died following a fatal crash on the A345 (Image: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service)

In July 2023, an 11-year-old boy died after a BMW crashed into a lorry parked in a layby near the Countess Roundabout on the A303 near Stonehenge. 

Two other members of the family also sustained serious injuries during the crash and were treated at Southampton General Hospital.

Wiltshire Police data also states there was a fatal crash on the A360, and the A338 respectively.

Most serious accidents

The force revealed there were 45 'serious' RTAs on the eight aforementioned roads, with the A36 being the most frequent area for such incidents. 

In total, 11 took place on the A36 - which runs from Southampton to Bath and passes through Salisbury and Warminster in Wiltshire.

One of those included a four-car pile-up where seven people were injured on the A36 Warminster Road in April 2023. At the time, Avon and Somerset Police said of the seven, two were "seriously" injured. 

A further nine occurred on the A303 and seven happened on the A350. Conversely, just one 'serious' RTA took place on the A354, according to the police.  

Most slight accidents

Of the 296 RTAs in total from Wiltshire Police's findings, 245 were 'slight' accidents; such as a sprain, bruise, or cut.

The force's data shows the most common 'slight' RTA took place on the A350 (63), followed by the A36 (53), and then the A303 (34).

In contrast, just three slight incidents occurred on the A354 - which is from Salisbury to Easton in Dorset - and 12 took place on the A30; which runs from London to Land's End and goes through Salisbury, among other destinations. 

In summary, just four RTAs took place in total over this 12-month period on the A354 - making it the safest of all the eight roads. 

The next safest road was the A30, where 12 slight incidents happened and five serious ones took place. 

Conversely, the most 'dangerous' of the roads was the A350, which had 63 slight RTAs, seven serious ones, but zero fatal incidents. 

The A36 had the second most incidents with 64, including 53 slight RTAs and 11 serious ones, with the A338 registering 32 slight ones, three serious ones, and one fatal incident.

For the full breakdown, see the table below. 

Crashes on Wiltshire roads between November 2022 and October 2023 (Image: Wiltshire Police)

Incidentally, Wiltshire Police also revealed how many Forensic Collision Investigators - who attend serious RTAs to gather and provide expert evidence to the investigation team and the criminal justice system - have been working with the force between 2020-24. 

The results show in 2020 and 2021 there were seven FCIs, eight in 2022, nine in 2023, and 10 in 2024.

Insp Dan Green said: "Last year we ran a summer road safety campaign following a high number of fatalities on Wiltshire’s roads.

"Most of these occurred on the M4, A303, A338, A360 and the A4. A single death on our roads is one too many and it’s so important that we do not look at these numbers as just a statistic.

"Our campaign last year saw road safety made a focus for the entire Force through enforcement and intensive awareness raising focusing on the fatal five offences which contribute to serious collisions.

"These are speeding, drink and drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, or careless and dangerous driving.

"Road safety is always a priority for us, but this summer we will once again run our summer road safety campaign because all too often, we see drivers failing to give the road their full attention, whether that is due to mobile phones or other factors.

"It may seem like minor offences to some, but it is often these momentary lapses of concentration that can lead to collisions.

"We are dedicated to raising awareness and improving road safety to prevent further deaths as a result of collisions.”