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Trunk A-road

A449 traffic and collisions

The A449 is a trunk A-road of 89.5 miles in England and Wales, from Herefordshire to Newport. This page covers its traffic at 63 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.

Last updated
Records analysed
63 count points in 2025
Methodology
View methodology
  • Traffic in 2025 618m vehicle miles
  • Average daily traffic 18,920 vehicles a day, both directions
  • Busiest section 36,499 A459/A460 to Broadlands
  • HGV share 5.1% of vehicle miles
  • Traffic since 2019 +5.5% same count points
  • Collisions, 2021 to 2025 506 17.7 per 100m vehicle miles

How busy is the A449?

On an average day in 2025, 18,920 vehicles passed each point on the A449, counting both directions. The busiest section is A459/A460 to Broadlands (Wolverhampton), with 36,499 a day; the quietest listed is B4224 to A4172, with 3,903.

Busiest sections, 2025

A459/A460 to Broadlands carries 1.9 times the road’s average flow.

Sections of the A449 with the highest average daily flow, 2025
Section Vehicles a day
A459/A460 to Broadlands Wolverhampton · 3.5 mi · HGVs 3.3% 36,499
A40 to A472 Monmouthshire · 5.0 mi · HGVs 8.7% 35,241
A40(T) to M50 Herefordshire · 0.6 mi · HGVs 9.9% 32,699
A449 (principal) to A4133 Worcestershire · 2.4 mi · HGVs 4.0% 31,005
A4133 to A4025 Worcestershire · 2.4 mi · HGVs 4.0% 29,962
M5 to A449 spur Worcestershire · 1.4 mi · HGVs 4.4% 29,111
A472 to M4 Monmouthshire, Newport · 8.0 mi · HGVs 10.7% 27,997
At A4133 Worcestershire · 0.6 mi · HGVs 4.2% 27,100
At A4133 Worcestershire · 0.6 mi · HGVs 4.0% 26,831
BEACHCROFT ROAD to B4176 Dudley, Staffordshire · 0.5 mi · HGVs 2.6% 26,439

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Route

Herefordshire to Newport · 89.5 miles in 2 stretches

Herefordshire Newport
Schematic route: each line joins the junctions at the ends of a DfT count point link.

A449 traffic and collisions by section

52 sections between junctions, in route order (2 separate stretches). Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 4 short link roads and spurs (2.3 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.

Show all 52 sections Tap a column heading to sort
Sections of the A449 in route order, 2025 traffic
#
1A40(T) to M50Herefordshire · stretch 10.632,6999.9%−3.0%7–
2M50 to B4224Herefordshire · stretch 12.15,9343.1%−2.3%7–
3B4224 to A4172Herefordshire, Gloucestershire · stretch 16.03,9035.8%+25.3%7–
4A4172 to A417Gloucestershire, Herefordshire · stretch 12.15,8568.1%−6.1%3–
5A417 to B4216Herefordshire · stretch 10.64,6221.5%−6.6%0–
6At A438Herefordshire · stretch 11.15,8692.5%−13.1%3–
7A438 to A4104Herefordshire, Worcestershire · stretch 13.76,9452.2%+6.4%9–
8A4104 to Green Lane, Great MalvernWorcestershire · stretch 11.05,0491.4%−5.3%4–
9Green Lane to B4211 mid-junctionWorcestershire · stretch 12.36,6401.0%−4.2%6–
10B4211 mid-junction to B4503Worcestershire · stretch 10.710,2931.4%−5.4%3–
11B4503 to Richmond Rd/Pickersleigh AveWorcestershire · stretch 10.813,8131.1%−0.8%5–
12Richmond Rd/Pickersleigh Ave to B4208 Townsend WayWorcestershire · stretch 10.717,6541.2%+1.6%1152.5
13B4208 Townsend Way to A4440Worcestershire · stretch 14.120,9672.6%+4.7%3121.0
14A4440 to Canada WayWorcestershire · stretch 10.711,8821.6%−3.8%7–
15Canada Way to A44Worcestershire · stretch 11.113,0571.6%−3.8%9–
16A44 to A38Worcestershire · stretch 10.418,7491.1%+2.1%5–
17M5 to A449 spurWorcestershire · stretch 11.429,1114.4%–3–
18At A449 spurWorcestershire · stretch 10.224,8062.0%+892.2%3–
19A449 spur to A4536 to A449 (principal)Worcestershire · stretch 11.526,0134.9%+4.5%4–
20A449 (principal) to A4133Worcestershire · stretch 12.431,0054.0%−0.1%1310.1
21At A4133Worcestershire · stretch 10.626,8314.0%+2.9%fewer than 3–
22At A4133Worcestershire · stretch 10.627,1004.2%−0.6%0–
23A4133 to A4025Worcestershire · stretch 12.429,9624.0%+2.8%4–
24A4025 to A450Worcestershire · stretch 12.517,9495.6%−5.3%8–
25A450 to A442Worcestershire · stretch 10.715,1005.1%−3.4%3–
26A442/Wilden Lane roundabout to FREDERICK ROAD (ROAD 1)Worcestershire · stretch 11.120,7333.7%−1.8%4–
27A442 to A448Worcestershire · stretch 11.29,3914.5%−5.2%1995.3
28A448 to A456Worcestershire · stretch 10.614,9133.4%+2.4%fewer than 3–
29A456 to A451Worcestershire · stretch 10.513,0902.4%+2.1%6–
30At A451Worcestershire · stretch 10.218,4383.0%−5.2%3–
31A451 to B4189Worcestershire · stretch 10.512,2053.3%−6.5%5–
32B4189 to A458Worcestershire, Staffordshire · stretch 14.214,8023.6%−5.8%1211.0
33At A458Staffordshire · stretch 10.126,6135.7%+8.5%3–
34A458 to A4101Staffordshire · stretch 12.519,9222.0%+5.7%1214.0
35A4101 to B4178 Swindon RdDudley · stretch 10.413,6843.1%−1.2%fewer than 3–
36B4178 Swindon Rd to A491Dudley · stretch 10.715,0373.1%−1.2%9–
37A491 to BEACHCROFT ROADDudley · stretch 10.127,9482.4%−2.1%0–
38BEACHCROFT ROAD to B4176Dudley, Staffordshire · stretch 10.526,4392.6%−2.1%fewer than 3–
39B4176 to A463Staffordshire · stretch 11.625,9173.2%+5.5%1622.1
40A463 to Showell Lane roundaboutStaffordshire · stretch 11.125,2152.3%+66.2%4–
41Showell Lane roundabout to A4039Staffordshire, Wolverhampton · stretch 11.620,2163.9%+15.0%3357.7
42A4039 to A4150Wolverhampton · stretch 10.926,0972.1%−1.8%2151.4
43A4150 to A459/A460Wolverhampton · stretch 10.234,1242.7%−1.0%7–
44A459/A460 to BroadlandsWolverhampton · stretch 13.536,4993.3%+0.9%9039.0
45Broadlands to M54Wolverhampton · stretch 10.236,4993.3%+0.9%3–
46M54 to A5(T)Staffordshire · stretch 14.020,9675.3%+32.9%1914.9
47A5(T) to B5012Staffordshire · stretch 11.920,6674.7%+2.3%6–
48B5012 to M6Staffordshire · stretch 13.311,2274.1%−6.8%1421.5
49M6 to Gravel LaneStaffordshire · stretch 10.916,2333.5%−8.1%3–
50Gravel Lane to A34Staffordshire · stretch 12.115,0552.2%−0.6%1222.1
51A40 to A472Monmouthshire · stretch 25.035,2418.7%+23.3%103.8
52A472 to M4Monmouthshire, Newport · stretch 28.027,99710.7%+4.1%236.3

Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A449 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.

A449 traffic by vehicle type

Cars and taxis make up 78.7% of the vehicle miles on the A449. HGVs account for 5.1%, rising to 10.7% on A472 to M4.

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 A449, by year
Year HGV share
2000 8.1%
2001 7.9%
2002 7.3%
2003 6.7%
2004 6.7%
2005 7.0%
2006 6.8%
2007 6.6%
2008 6.6%
2009 6.1%
2010 6.1%
2011 6.1%
2012 5.9%
2013 5.4%
2014 5.3%
2015 5.4%
2016 5.9%
2017 6.1%
2018 6.1%
2019 6.1%
2020 7.1%
2021 7.0%
2022 6.7%
2023 5.9%
2024 5.6%
2025 5.1%

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

A449 traffic trend

Traffic on the A449 came to 618 million vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 5.5% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 6.4% on 2015.

Vehicle miles a year

Like for like, traffic is up 11.0% on 2000.

Vehicle miles on the A449 each year, the whole road as it was that year
Year Vehicle miles
2000 552m
2001 562m
2002 577m
2003 578m
2004 589m
2005 598m
2006 594m
2007 598m
2008 592m
2009 593m
2010 582m
2011 586m
2012 570m
2013 549m
2014 560m
2015 572m
2016 598m
2017 590m
2018 592m
2019 587m
2020 444m
2021 505m
2022 549m
2023 586m
2024 606m
2025 618m

Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated

Average daily flow

Average daily flow along the A449, weighted by link length, by year
Year Vehicles a day
2000 17,078
2001 17,375
2002 17,867
2003 17,901
2004 18,240
2005 18,509
2006 18,375
2007 18,509
2008 18,336
2009 18,349
2010 18,028
2011 18,135
2012 17,635
2013 16,988
2014 17,329
2015 17,707
2016 18,523
2017 18,373
2018 18,134
2019 17,911
2020 13,553
2021 15,421
2022 16,742
2023 17,883
2024 18,485
2025 18,920

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. In 2025, 12 of the 63 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.

A449 collisions

Police recorded 506 collisions with the A449 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 139 of them fatal or serious, including 13 fatal. That is 17.7 per 100 million vehicle miles, lower than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 1.1 a year for each mile of road.

Reported collisions by year

Up 20.0% from 2021 to 2025.

Police-reported collisions on the A449 by year: fatal or serious, and slight
Year SlightFatal or serious
2021 7525
2022 6627
2023 6823
2024 7428
2025 8535

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 A449, 2021 to 2025
Section Per 100m vehicle miles
A442 to A448 Worcestershire · 19 collisions 95.3
Showell Lane roundabout to A4039 Staffordshire, Wolverhampton · 33 collisions 57.7
Richmond Rd/Pickersleigh Ave to B4208 Townsend Way Worcestershire · 11 collisions 52.5
A4039 to A4150 Wolverhampton · 21 collisions 51.4
A459/A460 to Broadlands Wolverhampton · 90 collisions 39.0
B4176 to A463 Staffordshire · 16 collisions 22.1
Gravel Lane to A34 Staffordshire · 12 collisions 22.1
B5012 to M6 Staffordshire · 14 collisions 21.5

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

A further 81 collisions were recorded at junctions where the A449 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 A449

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

  • Herefordshire
  • Gloucestershire
  • Worcestershire
  • Staffordshire
  • Dudley
  • Wolverhampton
  • Monmouthshire
  • Newport

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 63 count points in 2025 15 September 2026
Reported collisions Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport
Derived statistics UK Motoring 		2021 to 2025 506 reported collisions 15 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.