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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 674 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1979, and 872 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 165 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 22,899 collisions in Bedford.

Collisions in 1979
674
Casualties in 1979
872
Fatal collisions
13
1.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
165
24% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1979

1.9% of collisions in Bedford in 1979 were fatal and 24% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal131.9%
  • Serious16524%
  • Slight49674%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal151.7%
  • Serious20524%
  • Slight65275%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1979 is highlighted, with 674.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025293383
2024288366
2023332430
2022328419
2021263370
2020284373
2019371484
2018348474
2017420543
2016394541
2015399539
2014443561
2013356451
2012380497
2011447580
2010408553
2009385508
2008462644
2007473613
2006408560
2005452632
2004436601
2003423602
2002494653
2001553797
2000514730
1999450630
1998576817
1997596809
1996573793
1995465668
1994511714
1993523706
1992531701
1991506681
1990601823
1989717938
1988617793
1987620884
1986646831
1985611826
1984693867
1983662881
1982669877
1981634797
1980670862
1979674872

When and where crashes happen in Bedford in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday85 (13%)
  • Tuesday100 (15%)
  • Wednesday80 (12%)
  • Thursday96 (14%)
  • Friday124 (18%)
  • Saturday87 (13%)
  • Sunday102 (15%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5927 (4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (0.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59100 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5982 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59117 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59171 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5991 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5983 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January49 (7.3%)
  • February39 (5.8%)
  • March53 (7.9%)
  • April35 (5.2%)
  • May56 (8.3%)
  • June41 (6.1%)
  • July62 (9.2%)
  • August58 (8.6%)
  • September76 (11%)
  • October68 (10%)
  • November81 (12%)
  • December56 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight494 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit120 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting51 (7.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (0.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds517 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds79 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds20 (3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds12 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist7 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds3 (0.4%)
  • Other27 (4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry424 (63%)
  • Wet or damp216 (32%)
  • Frost or ice26 (3.9%)
  • Snow8 (1.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph446 (66%)
  • 40 mph29 (4.3%)
  • 50 mph7 (1%)
  • 60 mph170 (25%)
  • 70 mph22 (3.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway555 (82%)
  • Roundabout44 (6.5%)
  • One way street or slip road35 (5.2%)
  • Dual carriageway28 (4.2%)
  • Not recorded12 (1.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant354 (41%)
  • Motorcyclist193 (22%)
  • Pedestrian141 (16%)
  • Cyclist110 (13%)
  • Van occupant26 (3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant23 (2.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)17 (1.9%)
  • Other vehicle occupant5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 526 (3%)
  • 6 to 1050 (5.7%)
  • 11 to 1554 (6.2%)
  • 16 to 20227 (26%)
  • 21 to 25137 (16%)
  • 26 to 35140 (16%)
  • 36 to 4578 (8.9%)
  • 46 to 5567 (7.7%)
  • 56 to 6546 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7534 (3.9%)
  • Over 7513 (1.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider532 (61%)
  • Passenger199 (23%)
  • Pedestrian141 (16%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car695 (57%)
  • Motorcycle198 (16%)
  • Pedal cycle116 (9.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes69 (5.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes64 (5.3%)
  • Bus or coach35 (2.9%)
  • Other vehicle16 (1.3%)
  • Minibus11 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in Bedford

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Bedford ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 124th most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
124th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
127th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
177th
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
158th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1979

The A428 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1979: 104, including 1 fatal and 25 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA428104142125
2ndA686108124
3rdA4183856413
4thA600385308
5thA5140364017
6thA603233307
7thB660222715
8thA5134202307
9thA1132123
10thA4228901
11thA51414701
12thA453300
13thB10433300
14thA10011100
15thA60061201
16thA7431100
17thB10421100
18thB5601100
19thM11201

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1979

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1979: 341.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1979

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1979: 179.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1979, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years