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

The Wiltshire Police Disclosure Unit has now provided the latest data it can provide, in particular for the period 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.

Most fatal accidents

According to police findings, there were six fatal accidents during this period, three of which occurred on the A345, which runs from Salisbury to Marlborough, and on the A4.

One such tragedy, which occurred in October 2023, was the death of Mark Hillier, Watchmaster of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

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

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

In July 2023, an 11-year-old boy died after a BMW collided with a lorry parked in a bay near the Countess roundabout on the A303 near Stonehenge.

Two other family members were also seriously injured in the accident and were hospitalized at Southampton General Hospital.

Wiltshire Police records also show there has been a fatal accident on the A360 and A338 respectively.

The most serious accidents

Police revealed there were 45 “serious” RTA vehicles on the eight roads mentioned above, with the most common area for such incidents being the A36 motorway.

A total of 11 occurred on the A36, which runs from Southampton to Bath and passes through Salisbury and Warminster in Wiltshire.

One was a four-car crash that injured seven people on the A36 Warminster Road in April 2023. Avon and Somerset Police said at the time that of the seven people, two were “seriously” injured.

A further nine were on the A303 and seven on the A350. Police said only one “serious” RTA incident occurred on the A354.

Mostly minor accidents

Of the 296 total RTAs, Wiltshire Police found, 245 were “minor” accidents; such as a sprain, bruise or cut.

The force’s figures show the most common ‘minor’ RTAs occurred on the A350 (63), followed by the A36 (53) and the A303 (34).

In contrast, only three minor incidents occurred on the A354 – leading from Salisbury to Easton in Dorset – and 12 occurred on the A30; which runs from London to Land’s End and passes through Salisbury, among other places.

Overall, there were just four RTAs on the A354 over these 12 months, making it the safest of all eight roads.

The next safest road was the A30, where there were 12 minor incidents and 5 serious incidents.

On the other hand, the most “dangerous” of the roads was the A350, with 63 minor accidents, seven serious accidents, but zero fatal accidents.

The A36 had the second highest number of accidents with 64, including 53 light RTAs and 11 serious, with the A338 recording 32 minor, three serious and one fatal.

The full breakdown is in the table below.

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

Incidentally, Wiltshire Police also revealed how many forensic collision investigators, who take part in major RTAs to collect and provide evidence to the investigation team and the criminal justice system, worked with the police between 2020 and 2024.

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

Inspector Dan Green said: “Last year we ran a summer road safety campaign following the high number of deaths on Wiltshire’s roads.

“The majority of these occurred on the M4, A303, A338, A360 and A4 motorways. A single fatality on our roads is one too many and that is why it is so important that we do not treat these numbers as mere statistics.

“Our road safety campaign last year focused on the entire force through enforcement and intensive awareness-raising, focusing on five fatal offenses that contribute to serious collisions.

“These include speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt 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 not having their full attention on the road, whether because of mobile phones or other factors .

“To some this may seem like a minor offense, but it is often a momentary lapse in concentration that can lead to a collision.

“Our aim is to raise awareness and improve road safety to prevent further deaths from collisions.”