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CrashStats

Birmingham road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 3,875 road traffic collisions in Birmingham in 1985, and 4,820 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 70 were fatal and 977 were serious.

Collisions were down 11% on 1984 (4,362), and casualties fell from 5,390.

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

Collisions in 1985
3,875
Down 11% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
4,820
Down 11% on 1984
Fatal collisions
70
1.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
977
25% of collisions

Crash severity in Birmingham in 1985

1.8% of collisions in Birmingham in 1985 were fatal and 25% serious, against 1.2% and 17% in Birmingham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal701.8%
  • Serious97725%
  • Slight2,82873%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal791.6%
  • Serious1,12223%
  • Slight3,61975%

Birmingham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Birmingham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 4,597 in 1980. 1985 is highlighted, with 3,875, down 11% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday494 (13%)
  • Tuesday543 (14%)
  • Wednesday504 (13%)
  • Thursday586 (15%)
  • Friday676 (17%)
  • Saturday618 (16%)
  • Sunday454 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59204 (5.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5954 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59335 (8.6%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59465 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59675 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59973 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59618 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59551 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January279 (7.2%)
  • February243 (6.3%)
  • March317 (8.2%)
  • April316 (8.2%)
  • May353 (9.1%)
  • June182 (4.7%)
  • July341 (8.8%)
  • August355 (9.2%)
  • September323 (8.3%)
  • October375 (9.7%)
  • November436 (11%)
  • December355 (9.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,649 (68%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,201 (31%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown12 (0.3%)
  • Dark, no street lighting11 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds2,824 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds567 (15%)
  • Snowing, no high winds55 (1.4%)
  • Raining with high winds53 (1.4%)
  • Fine with high winds47 (1.2%)
  • Fog or mist39 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds9 (0.2%)
  • Other229 (5.9%)
  • Not recorded52 (1.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry2,282 (59%)
  • Wet or damp1,436 (37%)
  • Frost or ice85 (2.2%)
  • Snow71 (1.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (under 0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph5 (0.1%)
  • 20 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 30 mph3,272 (84%)
  • 40 mph531 (14%)
  • 50 mph17 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph12 (0.3%)
  • 70 mph37 (1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway2,794 (72%)
  • Dual carriageway733 (19%)
  • Roundabout237 (6.1%)
  • One way street or slip road102 (2.6%)
  • Not recorded9 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Birmingham in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,934 (40%)
  • Pedestrian1,637 (34%)
  • Motorcyclist556 (12%)
  • Cyclist317 (6.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant159 (3.3%)
  • Van occupant136 (2.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)35 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant19 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant19 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5231 (4.8%)
  • 6 to 10378 (7.8%)
  • 11 to 15449 (9.3%)
  • 16 to 20894 (19%)
  • 21 to 25680 (14%)
  • 26 to 35758 (16%)
  • 36 to 45480 (10%)
  • 46 to 55359 (7.4%)
  • 56 to 65274 (5.7%)
  • 66 to 75195 (4%)
  • Over 75122 (2.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,985 (41%)
  • Pedestrian1,637 (34%)
  • Passenger1,198 (25%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car4,270 (70%)
  • Motorcycle563 (9.2%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes417 (6.8%)
  • Pedal cycle322 (5.3%)
  • Bus or coach221 (3.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes175 (2.9%)
  • Other vehicle58 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car41 (0.7%)
  • Minibus24 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Birmingham in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 in Birmingham

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Birmingham ranked among 350 areas in 1985

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Birmingham had the most road collisions in 1985.

Collisions
1st
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
1st
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
2nd
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Birmingham with the most crashes in 1985

The A4040 had the most collisions in Birmingham in 1985: 251, including 4 fatal and 75 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Birmingham, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4040251312475
2ndA41224285550
3rdA38187248649
4thA34132163540
5thA441112153526
6thA4597123423
7thA45685103522
8thA512785100120
9thA4358498018
10thA45407393018
11thB41286682111
12thA476586123
13thA4534858112
14thA452475718
15thA4400466717
16thB42174455011
17thB4148395019
18thA457324008
19thB42843140012
20thA4097304218

Towns in Birmingham: crashes in 1985

Birmingham itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1985: 3,456.

Postcode districts in Birmingham: crashes in 1985

B31 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Birmingham in 1985: 208.

Latest crashes in Birmingham in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in Birmingham in 1985, 3 were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

Birmingham road accidents in other years