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CrashStats

Bedford road accidents in 1998: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 576 road traffic collisions in Bedford in 1998, and 817 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 85 were serious.

Collisions were down 3% on 1997 (596), and casualties rose from 809.

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

Collisions in 1998
576
Down 3% on 1997
Casualties in 1998
817
Up 1% on 1997
Fatal collisions
3
0.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
85
15% of collisions

Crash severity in Bedford in 1998

0.5% of collisions in Bedford in 1998 were fatal and 15% serious, against 1.7% and 18% in Bedford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal30.5%
  • Serious8515%
  • Slight48885%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal30.4%
  • Serious9812%
  • Slight71688%

Bedford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bedford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 717 in 1989. 1998 is highlighted, with 576, down 3% on 1997.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1998
  • 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 1998

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday80 (14%)
  • Tuesday80 (14%)
  • Wednesday106 (18%)
  • Thursday87 (15%)
  • Friday90 (16%)
  • Saturday74 (13%)
  • Sunday59 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5919 (3.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5980 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5986 (15%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59118 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59121 (21%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5993 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5951 (8.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January48 (8.3%)
  • February40 (6.9%)
  • March46 (8%)
  • April42 (7.3%)
  • May43 (7.5%)
  • June52 (9%)
  • July55 (9.5%)
  • August53 (9.2%)
  • September55 (9.5%)
  • October45 (7.8%)
  • November51 (8.9%)
  • December46 (8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight419 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit96 (17%)
  • Dark, no street lighting44 (7.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown15 (2.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds454 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds79 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds15 (2.6%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (2.4%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.7%)
  • Other7 (1.2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry345 (60%)
  • Wet or damp217 (38%)
  • Frost or ice13 (2.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph365 (63%)
  • 40 mph27 (4.7%)
  • 60 mph167 (29%)
  • 70 mph17 (3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway496 (86%)
  • Roundabout39 (6.8%)
  • Dual carriageway24 (4.2%)
  • One way street or slip road15 (2.6%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bedford in 1998

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant530 (65%)
  • Pedestrian99 (12%)
  • Cyclist77 (9.4%)
  • Motorcyclist61 (7.5%)
  • Van occupant28 (3.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 522 (2.7%)
  • 6 to 1025 (3.1%)
  • 11 to 1547 (5.8%)
  • 16 to 20146 (18%)
  • 21 to 25122 (15%)
  • 26 to 35156 (19%)
  • 36 to 45106 (13%)
  • 46 to 5594 (12%)
  • 56 to 6548 (5.9%)
  • 66 to 7530 (3.7%)
  • Over 7521 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider511 (63%)
  • Passenger207 (25%)
  • Pedestrian99 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car795 (74%)
  • Pedal cycle78 (7.3%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes69 (6.5%)
  • Motorcycle61 (5.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes32 (3%)
  • Bus or coach14 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle7 (0.7%)
  • Minibus3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bedford in 1998

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1998 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 1998

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bedford had the 141st most road collisions in 1998.

Collisions
141st
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
142nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
284th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
149th
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Bedford with the most crashes in 1998

The A6 had the most collisions in Bedford in 1998: 89, including 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bedford, 1998
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA689124014
2ndA428487407
3rdA421436816
4thA5134324702
5thA600273001
6thB531212505
7thA5141202501
8thA603202804
9thA5140141801
10thB660142101
11thA1111600
12thB53091301
13thA42251003
14thA4181100
15thM11100

Towns in Bedford: crashes in 1998

Bedford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1998: 253.

Postcode districts in Bedford: crashes in 1998

MK42 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bedford in 1998: 175.

Latest crashes in Bedford in 1998

Of the last 24 crashes in Bedford in 1998, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1998.

Severity

Bedford road accidents in other years