One of Wales' most dangerous roads has a crash on it every other day - and it's actually getting worse

Despite repeated calls to make the road safer - and Welsh Government funded schemes and studies - the numbers don't lie

A notoriously dangerous stretch of Welsh road has a “serious safety problem” which statistics prove is actually getting worse, not better, despite promised action from the Welsh Government.

The A48 between Carmarthen and Pont Abraham in Carmarthenshireis just 15 miles long but has become known in west Wales as a crash hotspot which, on average, sees a crash every other day.

The dual carriageway stretches from Pensarn Roundabout in Carmarthen to Pont Abraham Roundabout and includes several junctions and turn-offs and Cross Hands Roundabout - a crash hotspot itself - along the route.

The road includes laybys, bus stops, turn-offs without slip-roads and points where you can legally cross the opposite side of the carriageway, despite the fact that the road has a 70mph speed limit - the same as the M4 which extends eastwards from Pont Abraham Roundabout

In 2018, there were six crashes in one day along the relatively short carriageway, including five within one hour, leading one local councillor to label the road a “disgrace”.

In 2020 the Welsh Government commissioned a WelTAG (Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance) study into the safety of a section of the A48 in Carmarthenshire, while late last year the government said it was “developing a road safety scheme on the A48 between Cross Hands and Carmarthen”.

However, statistics obtained by Wales Online show that road safety on the A48 is actually getting worse.

Data released by Dyfed-Powys Police via a freedom of information (FOI) request shows there were 186 collisions in a 12-month period between the start of August 2024 and the end of July 2025.

A previous FOI submitted last year revealed there were 169 crashes on the road in the 12 months between the start of October 2023 and the end of September 2024, so the number of incidents in the most recent 12-month period has increased.

The worst section of the dual carriageway for crashes by far is the short four mile stretch between Cross Hands Roundabout and Pont Abraham Roundabout, which saw 40 incidents between the start of August last year and the end of July this year.

Pont Abraham Roundabout itself saw 31 crashes in that period, much more than the nine incidents recorded in the previous period.

Other sections of the road saw fewer crashes when comparing the two 12-month periods. The Llanddarog to Pensarn stretch saw four fewer incidents, while crashes on Cross Hands Roundabout reduced by 10.

The total number of collisions reported on the A48 in Carmarthenshire, and in which sections, between August 2024 and July 2025 is broken down below:

• Pont Abraham Roundabout: 31

• Cross Hands Roundabout: 18

• Pensarn Roundabout: 19

• Pont Abraham to Cross Hands: 40

• Cross Hands to Foelgastell: 23

• Foelgastell to Llanddarog: 21

• Llanddarog to Carmarthen: 34

• Total: 186

  
  

Looking at data over a much longer period, the A48 between Pensarn and Pont Abraham has seen more than 1,400 crashes over a decade(since January 2015) when you include the most recent statistics.

The MP for Caerfyrddin, Ann Davies, lives near the A48 and described the statistics listed above as “alarming”.

“As someone who regularly travels this stretch of the A48 and lives just minutes away, I witness first hand the frequency of these incidents,” she said.

“The statistics from 2024 to 2025 are both heartbreaking and alarming. Like many residents, I share the deep frustration and concern about the risks posed to our community. Road safety is not just a policy issue - it has deeply personal consequences.

“I’m committed to working closely with those affected, with the Welsh Government and our Senedd Members who are already actively engaged, to ensure that protecting lives is treated with the urgency it deserves.”