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CrashStats

Birmingham road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 4,300 road traffic collisions in Birmingham in 1981, and 5,445 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 63 were fatal and 1,120 were serious.

Collisions were down 6% on 1980 (4,597), and casualties fell from 5,758.

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

Collisions in 1981
4,300
Down 6% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
5,445
Down 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
63
1.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
1,120
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Birmingham in 1981

1.5% of collisions in Birmingham in 1981 were fatal and 26% serious, against 1.2% and 17% in Birmingham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal631.5%
  • Serious1,12026%
  • Slight3,11772%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal661.2%
  • Serious1,30824%
  • Slight4,07175%

Birmingham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Birmingham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 4,597 in 1980. 1981 is highlighted, with 4,300, down 6% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday612 (14%)
  • Tuesday577 (13%)
  • Wednesday652 (15%)
  • Thursday660 (15%)
  • Friday692 (16%)
  • Saturday659 (15%)
  • Sunday448 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59207 (4.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5956 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59417 (9.7%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59478 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59796 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:591,087 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59689 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59570 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January339 (7.9%)
  • February363 (8.4%)
  • March367 (8.5%)
  • April322 (7.5%)
  • May320 (7.4%)
  • June340 (7.9%)
  • July332 (7.7%)
  • August323 (7.5%)
  • September394 (9.2%)
  • October467 (11%)
  • November427 (9.9%)
  • December306 (7.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,856 (66%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,406 (33%)
  • Dark, no street lighting14 (0.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown13 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit10 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds3,067 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds713 (17%)
  • Raining with high winds71 (1.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds63 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds61 (1.4%)
  • Fog or mist21 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds14 (0.3%)
  • Other244 (5.7%)
  • Not recorded46 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry2,414 (56%)
  • Wet or damp1,683 (39%)
  • Frost or ice137 (3.2%)
  • Snow66 (1.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph12 (0.3%)
  • 20 mph9 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph3,757 (87%)
  • 40 mph457 (11%)
  • 50 mph14 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph13 (0.3%)
  • 70 mph38 (0.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway3,198 (74%)
  • Dual carriageway762 (18%)
  • Roundabout204 (4.7%)
  • One way street or slip road105 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded31 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Birmingham in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant2,089 (38%)
  • Pedestrian1,706 (31%)
  • Motorcyclist838 (15%)
  • Cyclist336 (6.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant257 (4.7%)
  • Van occupant143 (2.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)28 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant21 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant14 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant13 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5217 (4%)
  • 6 to 10447 (8.2%)
  • 11 to 15538 (9.9%)
  • 16 to 201,218 (22%)
  • 21 to 25693 (13%)
  • 26 to 35746 (14%)
  • 36 to 45500 (9.2%)
  • 46 to 55401 (7.4%)
  • 56 to 65326 (6%)
  • 66 to 75217 (4%)
  • Over 75142 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider2,317 (43%)
  • Pedestrian1,706 (31%)
  • Passenger1,422 (26%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car4,494 (66%)
  • Motorcycle875 (13%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes470 (6.9%)
  • Pedal cycle342 (5%)
  • Bus or coach290 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes176 (2.6%)
  • Other vehicle68 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car34 (0.5%)
  • Minibus27 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Birmingham in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Birmingham

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Birmingham ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Birmingham had the most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
1st
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
1st
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
5th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
2nd
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Birmingham with the most crashes in 1981

The A4040 had the most collisions in Birmingham in 1981: 280, including 7 fatal and 66 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Birmingham, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4040280345766
2ndA38252324768
3rdA41201258251
4thA34137166343
5thA441127163631
6thA45115154127
7thA512788117126
8thA4358299313
9thA45682109122
10thA477392022
11thB41287080121
12thA45406279111
13thA4400619008
14thA4525467212
15thA4534668112
16thA40974364013
17thB41483949012
18thB4137334709
19thB4217324727
20thA457313206

Towns in Birmingham: crashes in 1981

Birmingham itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 3,828.

Postcode districts in Birmingham: crashes in 1981

B31 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Birmingham in 1981: 209.

Latest crashes in Birmingham in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Birmingham in 1981, none were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Birmingham road accidents in other years