Trunk A-road
A638 traffic and collisions
The A638 is a trunk A-road of 55.3 miles, from Nottinghamshire to Kirklees. This page covers its traffic at 46 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.
- Traffic in 2025 338m vehicle miles
- Average daily traffic 16,753 vehicles a day, both directions
- Busiest section 39,925 A638T to A18
- HGV share 3.1% of vehicle miles
- Traffic since 2019 +6.4% same count points
- Collisions, 2021 to 2025 589 37.4 per 100m vehicle miles
How busy is the A638?
On an average day in 2025, 16,753 vehicles passed each point on the A638, counting both directions. The busiest section is A638T to A18 (Doncaster), with 39,925 a day; the quietest listed is A634 to A614, with 4,612.
Busiest sections, 2025
A638T to A18 carries 2.4 times the road’s average flow.
| Section | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| A638T to A18 Doncaster · 2.4 mi · HGVs 0.7% | 39,925 |
| A19 to A635 Doncaster · 0.9 mi · HGVs 2.2% | 37,412 |
| A18 to A630 Doncaster · 0.5 mi · HGVs 1.9% | 32,026 |
| M1 to A653 Wakefield, Kirklees · 3.3 mi · HGVs 4.4% | 25,741 |
| A642 to M1 jn40 Wakefield · 1.9 mi · HGVs 2.8% | 23,295 |
| B6389 Agbrigg Rd to A61 Wakefield · 0.8 mi · HGVs 2.3% | 23,279 |
| A645 to A655 Wakefield · 1.4 mi · HGVs 2.2% | 22,734 |
| A635 to B1220 Doncaster · 1.6 mi · HGVs 1.8% | 21,792 |
| A652 to A62 Kirklees · 2.9 mi · HGVs 1.1% | 20,664 |
| Junction where A638 and A614 meet (at Bawtry, Doncaster) to Roundabout where A6182 and A638 Great Yorkshire Way meet Doncaster · 4.2 mi · HGVs 4.6% | 17,090 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Route
Nottinghamshire to Kirklees · 55.3 miles
A638 traffic and collisions by section
37 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 6 short link roads and spurs (1.9 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.
Show all 37 sections Tap a column heading to sort
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A1 / A57 to Grove Road, RetfordNottinghamshire | 9,697 | 8 |
| 2 | Grove Rd to A620 MoorgateNottinghamshire | 13,057 | 24 |
| 3 | A620 to Randall WayNottinghamshire | 16,449 | 8 |
| 4 | Randall Way to A634Nottinghamshire | 8,197 | 4 |
| 5 | A634 to A614Nottinghamshire | 4,612 | 12 |
| 6 | A638 to A631Nottinghamshire, Doncaster | 13,014 | fewer than 3 |
| 7 | A631E to A631WDoncaster | 17,492 | 0 |
| 8 | A631W to A638Doncaster | 17,677 | 3 |
| 9 | Junction where A638 and A614 meet (at Bawtry, Doncaster) to Roundabout where A6182 and A638 Great Yorkshire Way meetDoncaster | 17,090 | 19 |
| 10 | Roundabout where A6182 and A638 Great Yorkshire Way meet to Near Park and Ride Station, Doncaster (Parrot's Corner)Doncaster | 25,768 | 3 |
| 11 | B6463 Sheep Bridge Lane to A638 principalDoncaster | 14,836 | 10 |
| 12 | A638T to A18Doncaster | 39,925 | 40 |
| 13 | A18 to A630Doncaster | 32,026 | 14 |
| 14 | A630 to A19Doncaster | 8,683 | 10 |
| 15 | A19 to A635Doncaster | 37,412 | 16 |
| 16 | A635 to B1220Doncaster | 21,792 | 18 |
| 17 | B1220 to road to The OvalDoncaster | 14,732 | 21 |
| 18 | road to The Oval to A1Doncaster | 14,089 | 8 |
| 19 | A1M to A6021 Dale laneDoncaster, Wakefield | 11,722 | 19 |
| 20 | A6021 Dale lane to A6021 Elm FarmWakefield | 12,222 | fewer than 3 |
| 21 | A6021 Elm Farm to A628 Acton Moor TopWakefield | 11,295 | 26 |
| 22 | A628 to A645Wakefield | 15,057 | 19 |
| 23 | A645 to A655Wakefield | 22,734 | 14 |
| 24 | A635 to B6389 Agbrigg RdWakefield | 30,245 | 7 |
| 25 | B6389 Agbrigg Rd to A61Wakefield | 23,279 | 34 |
| 26 | A638 merge to A636Wakefield | 28,174 | 24 |
| 27 | A636 Denby Dale Road to A636 Charlesworth WayWakefield | 23,962 | 5 |
| 28 | Westgate to Charlesworth WayWakefield | 15,736 | fewer than 3 |
| 29 | A638 Ings Road to A642Wakefield | 32,835 | 12 |
| 30 | A642 to M1 jn40Wakefield | 23,295 | 37 |
| 31 | M1 to A653Wakefield, Kirklees | 25,741 | 30 |
| 32 | A653 to Rishworth RdKirklees | 24,480 | fewer than 3 |
| 33 | A653 to A652Kirklees | 22,965 | 4 |
| 34 | Halifax Rd to Bradford RdKirklees | 20,260 | fewer than 3 |
| 35 | A652 to A62Kirklees | 20,664 | 56 |
| 36 | A62 to A643Kirklees | 15,053 | 18 |
| 37 | A643 to M62 / M606Kirklees | 15,732 | 19 |
Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A638 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.
A638 traffic by vehicle type
Cars and taxis make up 82.5% of the vehicle miles on the A638. HGVs account for 3.1%, rising to 12.4% on A1M to A6021 Dale lane.
Vehicle mix, 2025
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
HGV share of traffic
| Year | HGV share |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% |
| 2002 | 3.7% |
| 2003 | 3.6% |
| 2004 | 3.6% |
| 2005 | 3.6% |
| 2006 | 3.4% |
| 2007 | 3.4% |
| 2008 | 3.7% |
| 2009 | 3.2% |
| 2010 | 3.1% |
| 2011 | 3.0% |
| 2012 | 3.2% |
| 2013 | 3.2% |
| 2014 | 3.3% |
| 2015 | 3.2% |
| 2016 | 3.1% |
| 2017 | 3.0% |
| 2018 | 3.0% |
| 2019 | 3.0% |
| 2020 | 3.6% |
| 2021 | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 3.7% |
| 2023 | 3.5% |
| 2024 | 3.3% |
| 2025 | 3.1% |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
A638 traffic trend
Traffic on the A638 came to 338 million vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 6.4% on 2019, before the pandemic, and down 2.9% on 2015.
Vehicle miles a year
Like for like, traffic is up 2.0% on 2000.
| Year | Vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 317m |
| 2001 | 322m |
| 2002 | 313m |
| 2003 | 310m |
| 2004 | 327m |
| 2005 | 324m |
| 2006 | 321m |
| 2007 | 316m |
| 2008 | 301m |
| 2009 | 302m |
| 2010 | 300m |
| 2011 | 305m |
| 2012 | 307m |
| 2013 | 310m |
| 2014 | 321m |
| 2015 | 326m |
| 2016 | 329m |
| 2017 | 327m |
| 2018 | 326m |
| 2019 | 318m |
| 2020 | 254m |
| 2021 | 281m |
| 2022 | 310m |
| 2023 | 321m |
| 2024 | 326m |
| 2025 | 338m |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Average daily flow
| Year | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 16,252 |
| 2001 | 16,510 |
| 2002 | 16,184 |
| 2003 | 16,029 |
| 2004 | 16,760 |
| 2005 | 16,581 |
| 2006 | 16,418 |
| 2007 | 16,185 |
| 2008 | 15,433 |
| 2009 | 15,450 |
| 2010 | 15,363 |
| 2011 | 15,606 |
| 2012 | 15,720 |
| 2013 | 15,896 |
| 2014 | 16,430 |
| 2015 | 16,692 |
| 2016 | 16,823 |
| 2017 | 16,474 |
| 2018 | 16,391 |
| 2019 | 15,747 |
| 2020 | 12,564 |
| 2021 | 13,928 |
| 2022 | 15,357 |
| 2023 | 15,881 |
| 2024 | 16,135 |
| 2025 | 16,753 |
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, 17 of the 46 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.
A638 collisions
Police recorded 589 collisions with the A638 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 155 of them fatal or serious, including 8 fatal. That is 37.4 per 100 million vehicle miles, higher than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 2.1 a year for each mile of road.
Reported collisions by year
Up 35.7% from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Slight | Fatal or serious |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 70 | 28 |
| 2022 | 89 | 27 |
| 2023 | 93 | 29 |
| 2024 | 88 | 32 |
| 2025 | 94 | 39 |
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.
| Section | Per 100m vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| A630 to A19 Doncaster · 10 collisions | 108.4 |
| B6389 Agbrigg Rd to A61 Wakefield · 34 collisions | 103.2 |
| A652 to A62 Kirklees · 56 collisions | 69.8 |
| Grove Rd to A620 Moorgate Nottinghamshire · 24 collisions | 63.1 |
| A643 to M62 / M606 Kirklees · 19 collisions | 62.1 |
| B1220 to road to The Oval Doncaster · 21 collisions | 57.5 |
| A18 to A630 Doncaster · 14 collisions | 53.1 |
| B6463 Sheep Bridge Lane to A638 principal Doncaster · 10 collisions | 51.4 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
A further 100 collisions were recorded at junctions where the A638 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 A638
In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.
- Nottinghamshire
- Doncaster
- Wakefield
- Kirklees
Data sources and methodology
| 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 | 46 count points in 2025 | 15 September 2026 |
| Reported collisions | Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2021 to 2025 | 589 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”.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.