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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1980: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 670 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1980, and 862 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 14 were fatal and 207 were serious.

Collisions were down 1% on 1979 (674), and casualties fell from 872.

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

Collisions in 1980
670
Down 1% on 1979
Casualties in 1980
862
Down 1% on 1979
Fatal collisions
14
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
207
31% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1980

2.1% of collisions in Bedford in 1980 were fatal and 31% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal142.1%
  • Serious20731%
  • Slight44967%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal161.9%
  • Serious26230%
  • Slight58468%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1980 is highlighted, with 670, down 1% on 1979.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1980
  • 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 1980

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday92 (14%)
  • Tuesday95 (14%)
  • Wednesday88 (13%)
  • Thursday111 (17%)
  • Friday115 (17%)
  • Saturday92 (14%)
  • Sunday77 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5923 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5998 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5987 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59108 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59160 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5995 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5990 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January62 (9.3%)
  • February50 (7.5%)
  • March47 (7%)
  • April47 (7%)
  • May57 (8.5%)
  • June66 (9.9%)
  • July50 (7.5%)
  • August51 (7.6%)
  • September50 (7.5%)
  • October65 (9.7%)
  • November61 (9.1%)
  • December64 (9.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight471 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit130 (19%)
  • Dark, no street lighting66 (9.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds539 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds83 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds21 (3.1%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (1%)
  • Fog or mist6 (0.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.4%)
  • Other9 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry418 (62%)
  • Wet or damp232 (35%)
  • Frost or ice19 (2.8%)
  • Snow1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph454 (68%)
  • 40 mph34 (5.1%)
  • 50 mph7 (1%)
  • 60 mph166 (25%)
  • 70 mph9 (1.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway588 (88%)
  • Roundabout32 (4.8%)
  • One way street or slip road24 (3.6%)
  • Dual carriageway21 (3.1%)
  • Not recorded5 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1980

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant361 (42%)
  • Motorcyclist231 (27%)
  • Cyclist121 (14%)
  • Pedestrian113 (13%)
  • Van occupant17 (2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant12 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 520 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1032 (3.7%)
  • 11 to 1563 (7.3%)
  • 16 to 20278 (32%)
  • 21 to 25112 (13%)
  • 26 to 35122 (14%)
  • 36 to 4575 (8.7%)
  • 46 to 5568 (7.9%)
  • 56 to 6546 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7531 (3.6%)
  • Over 7515 (1.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider551 (64%)
  • Passenger198 (23%)
  • Pedestrian113 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car712 (59%)
  • Motorcycle234 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle123 (10%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes62 (5.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes39 (3.2%)
  • Bus or coach28 (2.3%)
  • Other vehicle11 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car5 (0.4%)
  • Minibus3 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1980

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1980 in Bedford

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Bedford ranked among 350 areas in 1980

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 120th most road collisions in 1980.

Collisions
120th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
127th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
143rd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
93rd
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1980

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1980: 87, including 1 fatal and 25 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1980
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA687113125
2ndA4286897216
3rdA51405270018
4thA4183948112
5thA51343038017
6thA6002637210
7thB660232808
8thA603192317
9thA42291305
10thA171513
11thA51414400
12thB10423400
13thA452301
14thB5602201
15thA1481100
16thA51201100
17thA60011101
18thB10431101

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1980

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1980: 347.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1980

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1980: 179.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1980

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1980, 1 was fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1980.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years