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CrashStats

Birmingham road accidents in 1979: crash statistics

Police recorded 4,204 road traffic collisions in Birmingham in 1979, and 5,305 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 93 were fatal and 1,173 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 163,817 collisions in Birmingham.

Collisions in 1979
4,204
Casualties in 1979
5,305
Fatal collisions
93
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
1,173
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Birmingham in 1979

2.2% of collisions in Birmingham in 1979 were fatal and 28% serious, against 1.2% and 17% in Birmingham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal932.2%
  • Serious1,17328%
  • Slight2,93870%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal941.8%
  • Serious1,33625%
  • Slight3,87573%

Birmingham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Birmingham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 4,597 in 1980. 1979 is highlighted, with 4,204.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20252,3072,985
20242,2963,055
20232,1993,004
20222,3833,187
20212,1372,831
20201,8022,417
20192,6233,551
20182,6143,539
20172,7243,664
20162,7873,761
20152,9704,159
20142,6283,584
20132,4453,315
20122,2163,071
20112,5083,497
20102,8764,092
20093,2894,519
20083,5064,832
20073,8205,231
20063,8095,209
20054,0845,481
20044,0325,398
20034,3225,657
20024,5696,027
20014,5496,067
20004,5056,107
19994,1555,656
19983,8885,199
19974,0595,449
19963,8085,038
19953,7274,938
19943,9375,154
19933,7565,002
19923,8354,967
19913,8785,018
19904,0465,184
19893,9335,006
19883,6144,584
19873,5644,471
19863,9525,035
19853,8754,820
19844,3625,390
19834,0284,979
19824,2995,337
19814,3005,445
19804,5975,758
19794,2045,305

When and where crashes happen in Birmingham in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday546 (13%)
  • Tuesday605 (14%)
  • Wednesday548 (13%)
  • Thursday650 (15%)
  • Friday743 (18%)
  • Saturday615 (15%)
  • Sunday497 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59267 (6.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5980 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59429 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59424 (10%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59660 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:591,043 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59594 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59707 (17%)

Collisions by month

  • January298 (7.1%)
  • February250 (5.9%)
  • March337 (8%)
  • April303 (7.2%)
  • May363 (8.6%)
  • June336 (8%)
  • July319 (7.6%)
  • August391 (9.3%)
  • September382 (9.1%)
  • October416 (9.9%)
  • November356 (8.5%)
  • December453 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,636 (63%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,531 (36%)
  • Dark, no street lighting17 (0.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit16 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Raining, no high winds667 (16%)
  • Snowing, no high winds114 (2.7%)
  • Fog or mist28 (0.7%)
  • Fine with high winds1 (under 0.1%)
  • Other3,394 (81%)

Road surface

  • Dry2,570 (61%)
  • Wet or damp1,354 (32%)
  • Snow280 (6.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph3,704 (88%)
  • 40 mph432 (10%)
  • 50 mph13 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph6 (0.1%)
  • 70 mph49 (1.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,571 (37%)
  • Dual carriageway689 (16%)
  • Roundabout204 (4.9%)
  • One way street or slip road154 (3.7%)
  • Not recorded1,586 (38%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Birmingham in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant2,140 (40%)
  • Pedestrian1,725 (33%)
  • Motorcyclist735 (14%)
  • Cyclist285 (5.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant179 (3.4%)
  • Van occupant174 (3.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)34 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant24 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant9 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5191 (3.6%)
  • 6 to 10474 (8.9%)
  • 11 to 15430 (8.1%)
  • 16 to 201,168 (22%)
  • 21 to 25710 (13%)
  • 26 to 35814 (15%)
  • 36 to 45482 (9.1%)
  • 46 to 55374 (7%)
  • 56 to 65345 (6.5%)
  • 66 to 75208 (3.9%)
  • Over 75109 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider2,198 (41%)
  • Pedestrian1,725 (33%)
  • Passenger1,382 (26%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car4,320 (67%)
  • Motorcycle774 (12%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes424 (6.6%)
  • Pedal cycle297 (4.6%)
  • Bus or coach261 (4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes222 (3.4%)
  • Other vehicle134 (2.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car15 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

How Birmingham ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Birmingham had the most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
1st
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
1st
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
3rd
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
1st
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Birmingham with the most crashes in 1979

The A4040 had the most collisions in Birmingham in 1979: 268, including 11 fatal and 65 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Birmingham, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA40402683401165
2ndA38240317973
3rdA41215259560
4thA34154201546
5thA45124177736
6thA441114156434
7thA435106118132
8thA512789109221
9thA45682110232
10thB412882109320
11thA454081115127
12thA476284222
13thA4525773017
14thA4534860113
15thA44004658013
16thA40974558113
17thB42174453014
18thB4145415019
19thB4148404648
20thM63754011

Towns in Birmingham: crashes in 1979

Wolverhampton had the most collisions of any town in Birmingham in 1979: 8.

Postcode districts in Birmingham: crashes in 1979

B78 and WV6 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Birmingham in 1979, with 8 each.

Latest crashes in Birmingham in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in Birmingham in 1979, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

Birmingham road accidents in other years