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Trunk A-road

A12 traffic and collisions

The A12 is a trunk A-road of 120.6 miles, from Tower Hamlets to Suffolk. This page covers its traffic at 64 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.

Last updated
Records analysed
64 count points in 2025
Methodology
View methodology
  • Traffic in 2025 2.0bn vehicle miles
  • Average daily traffic 46,072 vehicles a day, both directions
  • Busiest section 102,888 A604 / A133 to A12 sidelink
  • HGV share 6.1% of vehicle miles
  • Traffic since 2019 −4.9% same count points
  • Collisions, 2021 to 2025 1,604 16.4 per 100m vehicle miles

How busy is the A12?

On an average day in 2025, 46,072 vehicles passed each point on the A12, counting both directions. The busiest section is A604 / A133 to A12 sidelink (Essex), with 102,888 a day; the quietest listed is A144 to B1125 Angel Lane, with 7,749.

Busiest sections, 2025

A604 / A133 to A12 sidelink carries 2.2 times the road’s average flow.

Sections of the A12 with the highest average daily flow, 2025
Section Vehicles a day
A604 / A133 to A12 sidelink Essex · 1.1 mi · HGVs 5.6% 102,888
B142 to A106 Tower Hamlets, Hackney · 0.8 mi · HGVs 2.3% 88,928
A1008 to A406 Redbridge · 0.8 mi · HGVs 2.7% 88,243
A414 to A138 Essex · 2.5 mi · HGVs 7.3% 87,736
A120 to A604 / A133 Essex · 2.3 mi · HGVs 7.1% 85,989
A138 to B1389 Essex · 4.5 mi · HGVs 7.0% 83,218
A106 to A114 / A11 Hackney, Waltham Forest · 2.5 mi · HGVs 2.4% 81,765
A13 to A11 Tower Hamlets · 1.3 mi · HGVs 3.0% 81,326
A4114 / A130 to A1060/A414 Essex · 1.4 mi · HGVs 8.4% 80,686
A12 sidelink to A120 Essex · 3.4 mi · HGVs 7.5% 75,165

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Route

Tower Hamlets to Suffolk · 120.6 miles

Tower Hamlets Suffolk
Schematic route: each line joins the junctions at the ends of a DfT count point link.

A12 traffic and collisions by section

48 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 10 short link roads and spurs (3.1 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.

Show all 48 sections Tap a column heading to sort
Sections of the A12 in route order, 2025 traffic
#
1A13 to A11Tower Hamlets1.381,3263.0%−18.8%9445.8
2A11 to B142Tower Hamlets0.391,2732.4%−11.9%24–
3At B142Tower Hamlets0.291,2732.4%−11.9%11–
4B142 to A106Tower Hamlets, Hackney0.888,9282.3%−9.7%3425.3
5At A106Hackney0.774,3582.5%−10.8%4040.1
6A106 to A114 / A11Hackney, Waltham Forest2.581,7652.4%−16.5%9523.7
7A114 to A1008Waltham Forest, Redbridge0.572,3753.0%−1.7%2843.2
8A1008 to A406Redbridge0.888,2432.7%−1.1%5746.8
9A406 to A123/A1400Redbridge1.126,8892.4%−2.2%84151.9
10A1400/A123 Rndbt - Cranbrook Road to A1112Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham3.448,0252.6%−9.9%19364.8
11A1112 to A125Barking and Dagenham, Havering1.546,3012.5%−10.2%4937.8
12A125 to A118/A127Havering2.040,5103.0%−10.3%6541.9
13A118/A127 to MAYLANDS WAYHavering2.542,5173.1%+4.5%6738.3
14M25 to A1023Essex4.761,4626.3%−15.5%498.4
15A1023 to A1016Essex5.266,4016.5%−8.9%457.2
16A1016 to A4114 / A130Essex4.560,7205.9%−4.8%357.1
17A4114 / A130 to A1060/A414Essex1.480,6868.4%−4.6%189.1
18A414 to A138Essex2.587,7367.3%–1923.7
19B1137 to A130Essex0.658,2537.0%–0–
20A138 to B1389Essex4.583,2187.0%–4835.1
21B1389N to B1389SEssex3.069,4468.3%+1.3%267.4
22B1389S to B1024NEssex1.670,7147.5%−4.3%168.3
23B1024 to B1024SEssex2.856,9098.8%−8.5%237.8
24B1024S to A120Essex3.067,4648.1%−1.7%257.0
25A120 to A604 / A133Essex2.385,9897.1%−0.5%4111.9
26A604 / A133 to A12 sidelinkEssex1.1102,8885.6%+3.7%2815.5
27A12 sidelink to A120Essex3.475,1657.5%+1.3%296.8
28A120 to A12 sidelinkEssex1.274,5337.6%+6.4%7–
29A120 to A1232Essex0.737,78110.1%−5.3%0–
30A1232 to B1068Essex, Suffolk4.958,6957.2%−2.5%234.5
31B1068 to B1070Suffolk0.657,9639.7%−3.5%4–
32B1070 to A14Suffolk5.553,31010.2%+7.0%407.8
33A14/A1156 to Eagle Way roundabout, IpswichSuffolk3.244,2634.6%−5.4%176.7
34Eagle Way roundabout to A1214 Main RoadSuffolk1.146,1314.4%−0.6%1415.7
35A1214 to A1152Suffolk3.639,4554.6%+4.2%208.1
36A1152 Woods Lane to A1094 (Junction just South West of Sternfield)Suffolk10.120,0524.1%–2910.0
37A1094 to A1120Suffolk5.79,5476.8%−3.8%2526.4
38A1120 High Street Yoxford to A144Suffolk2.113,7353.9%+0.1%8–
39A144 to B1125 Angel LaneSuffolk3.47,7495.5%−4.8%8–
40B1125 Angel Lane to A145Suffolk0.513,7374.1%+10.2%5–
41A145 to A1095Suffolk0.312,9103.5%−1.0%fewer than 3–
42A1095 to Tower Road roundaboutSuffolk10.39,0765.4%−5.9%4728.6
43Tower Road roundabout to A1117Suffolk0.610,0745.4%−5.9%fewer than 3–
44A12 to A1145 Stradbroke RoadSuffolk0.721,6042.3%+13.5%7–
45A1117 to London Road SouthSuffolk1.717,8622.3%–24216.6
46London Road South to A1117Suffolk1.413,3972.3%–fewer than 3–
47A1144 to Bentley DriveSuffolk1.112,7841.1%–0–
48Bentley Drive to A12Suffolk0.67,9702.0%–0–

Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A12 as the first road, placed on the nearest section by their recorded position; rates (per 100 million vehicle miles) are shown for sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more.

A12 traffic by vehicle type

Cars and taxis make up 74.0% of the vehicle miles on the A12. HGVs account for 6.1%, rising to 10.2% on B1070 to A14.

Vehicle mix, 2025

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

HGV share of traffic

HGVs as a share of vehicle miles on the A12, by year
Year HGV share
2000 8.4%
2001 8.0%
2002 8.8%
2003 8.4%
2004 8.3%
2005 8.4%
2006 8.1%
2007 8.2%
2008 7.8%
2009 7.8%
2010 8.2%
2011 7.4%
2012 7.1%
2013 6.8%
2014 7.1%
2015 7.4%
2016 7.3%
2017 7.0%
2018 7.1%
2019 6.9%
2020 8.3%
2021 7.5%
2022 7.0%
2023 6.7%
2024 6.4%
2025 6.1%

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

A12 traffic trend

Traffic on the A12 came to 2.03 billion vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is down 4.9% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 2.4% on 2015.

Vehicle miles a year

Like for like, traffic is up 15.5% on 2000.

Vehicle miles on the A12 each year, the whole road as it was that year
Year Vehicle miles
2000 1.7bn
2001 1.8bn
2002 1.8bn
2003 1.9bn
2004 1.9bn
2005 1.9bn
2006 1.9bn
2007 1.9bn
2008 1.9bn
2009 1.9bn
2010 1.9bn
2011 1.9bn
2012 1.9bn
2013 1.9bn
2014 2.0bn
2015 2.0bn
2016 2.0bn
2017 2.1bn
2018 2.0bn
2019 2.1bn
2020 1.7bn
2021 1.9bn
2022 2.0bn
2023 2.0bn
2024 1.9bn
2025 2.0bn

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Average daily flow

Average daily flow along the A12, weighted by link length, by year
Year Vehicles a day
2000 37,592
2001 39,244
2002 40,403
2003 40,830
2004 41,187
2005 40,887
2006 42,367
2007 41,215
2008 41,296
2009 42,842
2010 41,485
2011 41,782
2012 42,352
2013 42,822
2014 43,506
2015 43,867
2016 45,213
2017 45,740
2018 48,018
2019 48,900
2020 39,165
2021 43,633
2022 46,502
2023 46,695
2024 45,860
2025 46,072

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

The chart counts the whole road as it was each year, so new or renumbered stretches move it. The percentage changes compare only count points present in both years (80.4% of today’s road for 2019). In 2025, 40 of the 64 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.

A12 collisions

Police recorded 1,604 collisions with the A12 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 331 of them fatal or serious, including 28 fatal. That is 16.4 per 100 million vehicle miles, lower than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 2.7 a year for each mile of road.

Reported collisions by year

Up 8.3% from 2021 to 2025.

Police-reported collisions on the A12 by year: fatal or serious, and slight
Year SlightFatal or serious
2021 25866
2022 28168
2023 21350
2024 26057
2025 26190

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

Sections with the highest collision rates

Per 100 million vehicle miles, 2021 to 2025. Sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more collisions.

Collisions per 100 million vehicle miles by section of the A12, 2021 to 2025
Section Per 100m vehicle miles
A1117 to London Road South Suffolk · 24 collisions 216.6
A406 to A123/A1400 Redbridge · 84 collisions 151.9
A1400/A123 Rndbt - Cranbrook Road to A1112 Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham · 193 collisions 64.8
A1008 to A406 Redbridge · 57 collisions 46.8
A13 to A11 Tower Hamlets · 94 collisions 45.8
A114 to A1008 Waltham Forest, Redbridge · 28 collisions 43.2
A125 to A118/A127 Havering · 65 collisions 41.9
At A106 Hackney · 40 collisions 40.1

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

A further 286 collisions were recorded at junctions where the A12 was the second road; they are not in the figures above. Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions

Council areas on the A12

In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.

  • Tower Hamlets
  • Hackney
  • Waltham Forest
  • Redbridge
  • Barking and Dagenham
  • Havering
  • Essex
  • Suffolk

Planned closures on the A12 in England

National Highways has 15 planned closures on the A12 between 16 September 2026 and 30 September 2026, 14 of them starting in that period. 12 close a carriageway rather than a lane or slip road, and 14 start between 7pm and 6am.

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    16 Sept 21:00 to 30 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    16 Sept 21:00 to 26 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    17 Sept 21:00 to 29 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    17 Sept 21:00 to 25 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Lane or slip A12 northbound Jct 29 to Jct 30 lane 2 closure

    17 Sept 21:00 to 20 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    18 Sept 21:00 to 29 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Lane or slip A12 northbound Jct 30 to 31 lane 2 closure (MP 172/4 to 175/4)

    18 Sept 21:00 to 19 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

  • Carriageway A12 northbound Jct 19 to 25 carriageway closure

    21 Sept 21:00 to 29 Sept 05:00 Road maintenance

7 more planned closures in this period are not shown.

Planned closures only: National Highways can cancel or change them, and closures caused by incidents are not shown. Council roads in England are not covered. Roadworks and closures across the UK

Source:National Highways 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-30 Updated

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Traffic counts and vehicle mix Road traffic statistics (AADF by count point) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2000 to 2025 64 count points in 2025 15 September 2026
Reported collisions Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2021 to 2025 1,604 reported collisions 15 September 2026
Planned closures Transport Data Feeds (DATEX II) National Highways 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-30 2,304 planned closure schemes 16 September 2026
  • Annual average daily flow (AADF) is the average number of vehicles passing a point on a typical day of the year, both directions combined.
  • Vehicle miles are AADF multiplied by link length and 365, summed over every count point link on the road.
  • Sections join count point links between junctions, using the link lines in DfT’s major road database.
  • STATS19 covers personal injury collisions reported to the police. Damage-only collisions are not included, and not every injury collision is reported.
  • Serious and slight figures are DfT’s adjusted estimates, which allow for police forces moving to injury-based reporting.
  • Counts of one or two collisions below Great Britain level are shown as “fewer than 3”.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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