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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1986: crash statistics

Police recorded 646 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1986, and 831 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 16 were fatal and 145 were serious.

Collisions were up 6% on 1985 (611), and casualties rose from 826.

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

Collisions in 1986
646
Up 6% on 1985
Casualties in 1986
831
Up 1% on 1985
Fatal collisions
16
2.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
145
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1986

2.5% of collisions in Bedford in 1986 were fatal and 22% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal162.5%
  • Serious14522%
  • Slight48575%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal172%
  • Serious16119%
  • Slight65379%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1986 is highlighted, with 646, up 6% on 1985.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1986
  • 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 1986

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday89 (14%)
  • Tuesday81 (13%)
  • Wednesday103 (16%)
  • Thursday86 (13%)
  • Friday126 (20%)
  • Saturday89 (14%)
  • Sunday72 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5932 (5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:595 (0.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5976 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5977 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59117 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59159 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59102 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5978 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January54 (8.4%)
  • February50 (7.7%)
  • March46 (7.1%)
  • April49 (7.6%)
  • May61 (9.4%)
  • June51 (7.9%)
  • July54 (8.4%)
  • August49 (7.6%)
  • September46 (7.1%)
  • October59 (9.1%)
  • November62 (9.6%)
  • December65 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight434 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit150 (23%)
  • Dark, no street lighting59 (9.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds509 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds82 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds24 (3.7%)
  • Raining with high winds11 (1.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds8 (1.2%)
  • Fog or mist5 (0.8%)
  • Other3 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry403 (62%)
  • Wet or damp216 (33%)
  • Frost or ice21 (3.3%)
  • Snow6 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph427 (66%)
  • 40 mph34 (5.3%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph165 (26%)
  • 70 mph18 (2.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway583 (90%)
  • One way street or slip road29 (4.5%)
  • Dual carriageway27 (4.2%)
  • Roundabout6 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1986

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant391 (47%)
  • Motorcyclist153 (18%)
  • Pedestrian140 (17%)
  • Cyclist105 (13%)
  • Van occupant21 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)12 (1.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 525 (3%)
  • 6 to 1041 (4.9%)
  • 11 to 1544 (5.3%)
  • 16 to 20234 (28%)
  • 21 to 25122 (15%)
  • 26 to 35121 (15%)
  • 36 to 4591 (11%)
  • 46 to 5554 (6.5%)
  • 56 to 6547 (5.7%)
  • 66 to 7536 (4.3%)
  • Over 7516 (1.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider520 (63%)
  • Passenger171 (21%)
  • Pedestrian140 (17%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car759 (64%)
  • Motorcycle157 (13%)
  • Pedal cycle111 (9.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes59 (5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes58 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach22 (1.9%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.5%)
  • Minibus4 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

How Bedford ranked among 350 areas in 1986

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 134th most road collisions in 1986.

Collisions
134th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
143rd
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
88th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
151st
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1986

The A428 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1986: 85, including 3 fatal and 21 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1986
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA42885123321
2ndA677105411
3rdA5134263407
4thB531262805
5thA600253110
6thA603172814
7thB660172805
8thA1142304
9thA42281201
10thA4217913
11thB53071402
12thA4181100
13thA451100
14thA51100
15thA51301301
16thA51401101
17thA6601101
18thB10421101
19thB10431310
20thM11100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1986

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1986: 279.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1986

MK40 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1986: 152.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1986

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1986, 1 was fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1986.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years