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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 634 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1981, and 797 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 176 were serious.

Collisions were down 5% on 1980 (670), and casualties fell from 862.

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

Collisions in 1981
634
Down 5% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
797
Down 8% on 1980
Fatal collisions
13
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
176
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1981

2.1% of collisions in Bedford in 1981 were fatal and 28% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal132.1%
  • Serious17628%
  • Slight44570%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal162%
  • Serious20225%
  • Slight57973%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 634, down 5% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday88 (14%)
  • Tuesday90 (14%)
  • Wednesday99 (16%)
  • Thursday94 (15%)
  • Friday118 (19%)
  • Saturday83 (13%)
  • Sunday62 (9.8%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5920 (3.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5993 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5975 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59100 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59163 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59104 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5971 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January43 (6.8%)
  • February51 (8%)
  • March47 (7.4%)
  • April46 (7.3%)
  • May65 (10%)
  • June42 (6.6%)
  • July56 (8.8%)
  • August56 (8.8%)
  • September59 (9.3%)
  • October66 (10%)
  • November57 (9%)
  • December46 (7.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight455 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit116 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting57 (9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds505 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds76 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds14 (2.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds9 (1.4%)
  • Fog or mist6 (0.9%)
  • Snowing with high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Other16 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry389 (61%)
  • Wet or damp209 (33%)
  • Frost or ice27 (4.3%)
  • Snow9 (1.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph406 (64%)
  • 40 mph43 (6.8%)
  • 50 mph4 (0.6%)
  • 60 mph167 (26%)
  • 70 mph13 (2.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway547 (86%)
  • Roundabout38 (6%)
  • One way street or slip road23 (3.6%)
  • Dual carriageway20 (3.2%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant346 (43%)
  • Motorcyclist208 (26%)
  • Pedestrian106 (13%)
  • Cyclist91 (11%)
  • Van occupant21 (2.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)14 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant7 (0.9%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 514 (1.8%)
  • 6 to 1029 (3.6%)
  • 11 to 1557 (7.2%)
  • 16 to 20234 (29%)
  • 21 to 25114 (14%)
  • 26 to 35124 (16%)
  • 36 to 4573 (9.2%)
  • 46 to 5572 (9%)
  • 56 to 6542 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7522 (2.8%)
  • Over 7516 (2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider521 (65%)
  • Passenger170 (21%)
  • Pedestrian106 (13%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car678 (57%)
  • Motorcycle219 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle100 (8.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes75 (6.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes58 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach23 (1.9%)
  • Other vehicle15 (1.3%)
  • Minibus7 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car5 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 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 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 132nd most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
132nd
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
148th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
157th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
133rd
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1981

The A428 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1981: 91, including 2 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA42891119222
2ndA67395321
3rdA51404454212
4thA51343741010
5thA418274125
6thA600252906
7thA603202706
8thB660171901
9thA191805
10thA42291704
11thA51417704
12thM13502
13thB10422202
14thB10432202
15thA451100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1981

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 309.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1981

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1981: 166.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1981, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years