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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 611 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1985, and 826 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 141 were serious.

Collisions were down 12% on 1984 (693), and casualties fell from 867.

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

Collisions in 1985
611
Down 12% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
826
Down 5% on 1984
Fatal collisions
13
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
141
23% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1985

2.1% of collisions in Bedford in 1985 were fatal and 23% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal132.1%
  • Serious14123%
  • Slight45775%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal131.6%
  • Serious17922%
  • Slight63477%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1985 is highlighted, with 611, down 12% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday91 (15%)
  • Tuesday87 (14%)
  • Wednesday96 (16%)
  • Thursday82 (13%)
  • Friday103 (17%)
  • Saturday88 (14%)
  • Sunday64 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5921 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5912 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5995 (16%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5974 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59102 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59138 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5989 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5980 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January45 (7.4%)
  • February40 (6.5%)
  • March48 (7.9%)
  • April45 (7.4%)
  • May60 (9.8%)
  • June49 (8%)
  • July51 (8.3%)
  • August35 (5.7%)
  • September56 (9.2%)
  • October61 (10%)
  • November66 (11%)
  • December55 (9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight426 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit132 (22%)
  • Dark, no street lighting49 (8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds500 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds68 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (2.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds7 (1.1%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.3%)
  • Other9 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry387 (63%)
  • Wet or damp196 (32%)
  • Frost or ice21 (3.4%)
  • Snow7 (1.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph417 (68%)
  • 40 mph36 (5.9%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph148 (24%)
  • 70 mph9 (1.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway544 (89%)
  • One way street or slip road28 (4.6%)
  • Dual carriageway23 (3.8%)
  • Roundabout15 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant377 (46%)
  • Motorcyclist164 (20%)
  • Pedestrian120 (15%)
  • Cyclist105 (13%)
  • Van occupant34 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 516 (1.9%)
  • 6 to 1039 (4.7%)
  • 11 to 1559 (7.1%)
  • 16 to 20229 (28%)
  • 21 to 25135 (16%)
  • 26 to 35122 (15%)
  • 36 to 4581 (9.8%)
  • 46 to 5557 (6.9%)
  • 56 to 6546 (5.6%)
  • 66 to 7525 (3%)
  • Over 7517 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider504 (61%)
  • Passenger202 (24%)
  • Pedestrian120 (15%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car705 (62%)
  • Motorcycle162 (14%)
  • Pedal cycle112 (9.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes69 (6.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes53 (4.7%)
  • Bus or coach18 (1.6%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.5%)
  • Minibus3 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 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 350 areas in 1985

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 141st most road collisions in 1985.

Collisions
141st
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
139th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
127th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
171st
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1985

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1985: 82, including 1 fatal and 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA682111120
2ndA42877113017
3rdA600233314
4thA603234329
5thB6602332110
6thB531202211
7thA5134152005
8thB53091102
9thA181414
10thA42281201
11thA4215701
12thA453810
13thA51403300
14thA51413401
15thB10432200
16thA4181100
17thA5051100
18thB5601200

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1985

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1985: 318.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1985

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1985: 157.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1985, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years