A-road
A970 traffic and collisions
The A970 is an A-road of 72.6 miles, in Shetland Islands. This page covers its traffic at 22 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.
- Traffic in 2025 71m vehicle miles
- Average daily traffic 2,661 vehicles a day, both directions
- Busiest section 12,774 A969 to Gremista Brae
- HGV share 4.0% of vehicle miles
- Traffic since 2019 +2.4% same count points
- Collisions, 2021 to 2025 27 8.3 per 100m vehicle miles
How busy is the A970?
On an average day in 2025, 2,661 vehicles passed each point on the A970, counting both directions. The busiest section is A969 to Gremista Brae (Shetland Islands), with 12,774 a day; the quietest listed is A970 split to end, with 216.
Busiest sections, 2025
A969 to Gremista Brae carries 4.8 times the road’s average flow.
| Section | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| A969 to Gremista Brae Shetland Islands · 0.6 mi · HGVs 3.1% | 12,774 |
| At A969 Shetland Islands · 0.7 mi · HGVs 2.1% | 8,769 |
| Gremista Brae to Ladies Drive Shetland Islands · 1.4 mi · HGVs 6.5% | 8,071 |
| Ladies Drive to A970 Bridge of Fitch Shetland Islands · 1.2 mi · HGVs 3.2% | 7,195 |
| B9073 to A969 Shetland Islands · 2.2 mi · HGVs 1.2% | 6,436 |
| Bridge of Fitch to C-road south of Tingwall Shetland Islands · 1.2 mi · HGVs 3.4% | 6,131 |
| C-road south of Tingwall to A971 Shetland Islands · 1.1 mi · HGVs 5.0% | 5,581 |
| B9122 to B9073 Shetland Islands · 13.1 mi · HGVs 1.0% | 3,721 |
| B9075 to B9071 Shetland Islands · 4.8 mi · HGVs 7.8% | 3,457 |
| B9071 to A968 Shetland Islands · 0.6 mi · HGVs 4.5% | 3,373 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Route
In Shetland Islands · 72.6 miles
A970 traffic and collisions by section
18 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 4 short link roads and spurs (7.1 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.
Show all 18 sections Tap a column heading to sort
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | end of A-road status, Sumburgh to B9122Shetland Islands | 1,431 | fewer than 3 |
| 2 | At B9122Shetland Islands | 1,402 | fewer than 3 |
| 3 | B9122 to B9073Shetland Islands | 3,721 | 7 |
| 4 | B9073 to A969Shetland Islands | 6,436 | 3 |
| 5 | At A969Shetland Islands | 8,769 | 0 |
| 6 | A969 to Gremista BraeShetland Islands | 12,774 | fewer than 3 |
| 7 | Gremista Brae to Ladies DriveShetland Islands | 8,071 | fewer than 3 |
| 8 | Ladies Drive to A970 Bridge of FitchShetland Islands | 7,195 | 0 |
| 9 | Bridge of Fitch to C-road south of TingwallShetland Islands | 6,131 | fewer than 3 |
| 10 | C-road south of Tingwall to A971Shetland Islands | 5,581 | fewer than 3 |
| 11 | A971 to B9075Shetland Islands | 3,036 | fewer than 3 |
| 12 | At B9075Shetland Islands | 2,890 | fewer than 3 |
| 13 | B9075 to B9071Shetland Islands | 3,457 | fewer than 3 |
| 14 | At B9071Shetland Islands | 2,973 | fewer than 3 |
| 15 | B9071 to A968Shetland Islands | 3,373 | fewer than 3 |
| 16 | A968 to B9076Shetland Islands | 2,126 | 0 |
| 17 | B9076 to A970 split, Sandy LochsShetland Islands | 829 | 0 |
| 18 | A970 split to endShetland Islands | 216 | 0 |
Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A970 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.
A970 traffic by vehicle type
Cars and taxis make up 72.0% of the vehicle miles on the A970. HGVs account for 4.0%, rising to 11.2% on B9076 to A970 split, Sandy Lochs.
Vehicle mix, 2025
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
HGV share of traffic
| Year | HGV share |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.3% |
| 2001 | 4.3% |
| 2002 | 4.3% |
| 2003 | 4.4% |
| 2004 | 4.3% |
| 2005 | 4.7% |
| 2006 | 4.7% |
| 2007 | 4.8% |
| 2008 | 4.8% |
| 2009 | 4.6% |
| 2010 | 4.7% |
| 2011 | 4.4% |
| 2012 | 4.5% |
| 2013 | 4.6% |
| 2014 | 4.7% |
| 2015 | 4.8% |
| 2016 | 4.9% |
| 2017 | 5.0% |
| 2018 | 5.0% |
| 2019 | 5.0% |
| 2020 | 5.6% |
| 2021 | 5.4% |
| 2022 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 4.1% |
| 2025 | 4.0% |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
A970 traffic trend
Traffic on the A970 came to 70.5 million vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 2.4% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 7.7% on 2015.
Vehicle miles a year
Like for like, traffic is up 29.5% on 2000.
| Year | Vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 55m |
| 2001 | 56m |
| 2002 | 59m |
| 2003 | 61m |
| 2004 | 61m |
| 2005 | 63m |
| 2006 | 63m |
| 2007 | 62m |
| 2008 | 62m |
| 2009 | 61m |
| 2010 | 61m |
| 2011 | 62m |
| 2012 | 62m |
| 2013 | 63m |
| 2014 | 65m |
| 2015 | 67m |
| 2016 | 69m |
| 2017 | 69m |
| 2018 | 70m |
| 2019 | 69m |
| 2020 | 53m |
| 2021 | 59m |
| 2022 | 64m |
| 2023 | 65m |
| 2024 | 70m |
| 2025 | 71m |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Average daily flow
| Year | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,075 |
| 2001 | 2,119 |
| 2002 | 2,198 |
| 2003 | 2,279 |
| 2004 | 2,296 |
| 2005 | 2,349 |
| 2006 | 2,365 |
| 2007 | 2,340 |
| 2008 | 2,323 |
| 2009 | 2,303 |
| 2010 | 2,278 |
| 2011 | 2,337 |
| 2012 | 2,337 |
| 2013 | 2,379 |
| 2014 | 2,438 |
| 2015 | 2,512 |
| 2016 | 2,577 |
| 2017 | 2,608 |
| 2018 | 2,621 |
| 2019 | 2,597 |
| 2020 | 2,004 |
| 2021 | 2,219 |
| 2022 | 2,396 |
| 2023 | 2,442 |
| 2024 | 2,629 |
| 2025 | 2,661 |
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, 0 of the 22 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.
A970 collisions
Police recorded 27 collisions with the A970 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 14 of them fatal or serious. That is 8.3 per 100 million vehicle miles, lower than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 0.1 a year for each mile of road.
Reported collisions by year
Down 40.0% from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Collisions |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 3 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions
Council areas on the A970
In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.
- Shetland Islands
Roadworks on the A970 in Scotland
The Scottish Road Works Register lists 14 sets of roadworks on the A970 in Scotland, 5 of them under way. From the extract of 16 September 2026.
-
A970 From Sandwater Jcn B9075 To Petta Water, North Nesting
-
A970 From Brig O' Fitch To Windy Grind, Tingwall
-
A970 From Ladies Drive Jcn To Brig O' Fitch, Frakkafield
-
A970 From Blackhill 40mph Sign To Ladies Drive Jcn, Lerwick
-
A970 From Scousburgh Jcn (B9122) To Clumlie Junction, Dunrossness
-
A970 From Sandwater Jcn B9075 To Petta Water, North Nesting
Works in Scotland only, and only where the register records them against the road number. The register publishes one extract a day, so works can start, finish or change after it is taken. Roadworks across Scotland
Source:SRWR Extract of 2026-09-16 Updated
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 | 22 count points in 2025 | 15 September 2026 |
| Reported collisions | Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2021 to 2025 | 27 reported collisions | 15 September 2026 |
| Roadworks | Scottish Road Works Register open data Scottish Road Works Commissioner | Extract of 2026-09-16 | 22,074 sets of roadworks recorded in Scotland | 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”.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.