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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 596 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1997, and 809 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 80 were serious.

Collisions were up 4% on 1996 (573), and casualties rose from 793.

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

Collisions in 1997
596
Up 4% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
809
Up 2% on 1996
Fatal collisions
9
1.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
80
13% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1997

1.5% of collisions in Bedford in 1997 were fatal and 13% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal91.5%
  • Serious8013%
  • Slight50785%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal91.1%
  • Serious9011%
  • Slight71088%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1997 is highlighted, with 596, up 4% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday86 (14%)
  • Tuesday80 (13%)
  • Wednesday101 (17%)
  • Thursday87 (15%)
  • Friday102 (17%)
  • Saturday82 (14%)
  • Sunday58 (9.7%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5920 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5982 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5985 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5997 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59141 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59105 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5957 (9.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January53 (8.9%)
  • February54 (9.1%)
  • March38 (6.4%)
  • April48 (8.1%)
  • May53 (8.9%)
  • June44 (7.4%)
  • July57 (9.6%)
  • August47 (7.9%)
  • September57 (9.6%)
  • October48 (8.1%)
  • November52 (8.7%)
  • December45 (7.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight423 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit116 (19%)
  • Dark, no street lighting56 (9.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds496 (83%)
  • Raining, no high winds67 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds13 (2.2%)
  • Fog or mist9 (1.5%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Other2 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry388 (65%)
  • Wet or damp197 (33%)
  • Frost or ice10 (1.7%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph352 (59%)
  • 40 mph31 (5.2%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.5%)
  • 60 mph187 (31%)
  • 70 mph23 (3.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway491 (82%)
  • Roundabout46 (7.7%)
  • Dual carriageway30 (5%)
  • One way street or slip road28 (4.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant516 (64%)
  • Pedestrian97 (12%)
  • Cyclist85 (11%)
  • Motorcyclist45 (5.6%)
  • Van occupant30 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant11 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant9 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle occupant5 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant4 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 516 (2%)
  • 6 to 1031 (3.8%)
  • 11 to 1538 (4.7%)
  • 16 to 20157 (19%)
  • 21 to 25107 (13%)
  • 26 to 35182 (22%)
  • 36 to 4595 (12%)
  • 46 to 5591 (11%)
  • 56 to 6547 (5.8%)
  • 66 to 7527 (3.3%)
  • Over 7518 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider532 (66%)
  • Passenger180 (22%)
  • Pedestrian97 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car825 (74%)
  • Pedal cycle89 (8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes81 (7.3%)
  • Motorcycle46 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes36 (3.2%)
  • Bus or coach15 (1.3%)
  • Other vehicle11 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (0.9%)
  • Minibus4 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 351 areas in 1997

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 141st most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
141st
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
147th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
121st
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
181st
of 351 areas, highest first

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1997

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1997: 91, including 3 fatal and 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA691118314
2ndA428597815
3rdA4215086011
4thA5134273401
5thA5141192202
6thA600192613
7thA603192603
8thB660181905
9thA1172701
10thB531162102
11thA5140101903
12thB53081301
13thA4221100
14thB6581100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1997

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1997: 264.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1997

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1997: 154.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1997, none were fatal and 1 was serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years