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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1988: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 617 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1988, and 793 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 118 were serious.

Collisions were level with 1987 (620), and casualties fell from 884.

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

Collisions in 1988
617
Level with 1987
Casualties in 1988
793
Down 10% on 1987
Fatal collisions
11
1.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
118
19% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1988

1.8% of collisions in Bedford in 1988 were fatal and 19% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal111.8%
  • Serious11819%
  • Slight48879%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal111.4%
  • Serious13617%
  • Slight64681%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1988 is highlighted, with 617, level with 1987.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1988
  • 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 1988

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday89 (14%)
  • Tuesday81 (13%)
  • Wednesday95 (15%)
  • Thursday92 (15%)
  • Friday96 (16%)
  • Saturday94 (15%)
  • Sunday70 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5919 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5911 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5996 (16%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5974 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59110 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59126 (20%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59114 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5967 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January46 (7.5%)
  • February33 (5.3%)
  • March53 (8.6%)
  • April54 (8.8%)
  • May48 (7.8%)
  • June47 (7.6%)
  • July57 (9.2%)
  • August40 (6.5%)
  • September47 (7.6%)
  • October61 (9.9%)
  • November89 (14%)
  • December42 (6.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight437 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit140 (23%)
  • Dark, no street lighting38 (6.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds481 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds93 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (2.8%)
  • Fog or mist14 (2.3%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other8 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry384 (62%)
  • Wet or damp219 (35%)
  • Frost or ice12 (1.9%)
  • Snow2 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph412 (67%)
  • 40 mph27 (4.4%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.5%)
  • 60 mph159 (26%)
  • 70 mph16 (2.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway546 (88%)
  • One way street or slip road39 (6.3%)
  • Dual carriageway22 (3.6%)
  • Roundabout10 (1.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1988

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant392 (49%)
  • Motorcyclist130 (16%)
  • Pedestrian111 (14%)
  • Cyclist101 (13%)
  • Van occupant43 (5.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)12 (1.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant1 (0.1%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 516 (2%)
  • 6 to 1032 (4%)
  • 11 to 1553 (6.7%)
  • 16 to 20185 (23%)
  • 21 to 25117 (15%)
  • 26 to 35132 (17%)
  • 36 to 4591 (11%)
  • 46 to 5568 (8.6%)
  • 56 to 6548 (6.1%)
  • 66 to 7525 (3.2%)
  • Over 7526 (3.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider527 (66%)
  • Passenger155 (20%)
  • Pedestrian111 (14%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car734 (64%)
  • Motorcycle133 (12%)
  • Pedal cycle107 (9.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes96 (8.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes60 (5.2%)
  • Bus or coach10 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.4%)
  • Minibus4 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1988

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1988 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 1988

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 146th most road collisions in 1988.

Collisions
146th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
156th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
164th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
177th
of 349 areas, highest first

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1988

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1988: 98, including 4 fatal and 25 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1988
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA698119425
2ndA42883118118
3rdA5134354614
4thA600293515
5thA603264004
6thB531232702
7thA5140151815
8thB660152006
9thA1131713
10thA421121802
11thA5141111101
12thA42251313
13thB5305700
14thA451100
15thM11101

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1988

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1988: 303.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1988

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1988: 184.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1988

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1988, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1988.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years