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CrashStats

Birmingham road accidents in 1986: crash statistics

Police recorded 3,952 road traffic collisions in Birmingham in 1986, and 5,035 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 90 were fatal and 953 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1985 (3,875), and casualties rose from 4,820.

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

Collisions in 1986
3,952
Up 2% on 1985
Casualties in 1986
5,035
Up 4% on 1985
Fatal collisions
90
2.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
953
24% of collisions

Crash severity in Birmingham in 1986

2.3% of collisions in Birmingham in 1986 were fatal and 24% serious, against 1.2% and 17% in Birmingham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal902.3%
  • Serious95324%
  • Slight2,90974%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal931.8%
  • Serious1,13022%
  • Slight3,81276%

Birmingham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Birmingham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 4,597 in 1980. 1986 is highlighted, with 3,952, up 2% on 1985.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1986
  • 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 1986

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday551 (14%)
  • Tuesday528 (13%)
  • Wednesday553 (14%)
  • Thursday568 (14%)
  • Friday699 (18%)
  • Saturday603 (15%)
  • Sunday450 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59200 (5.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5948 (1.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59380 (9.6%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59500 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59754 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59970 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59606 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59494 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January287 (7.3%)
  • February326 (8.2%)
  • March326 (8.2%)
  • April276 (7%)
  • May370 (9.4%)
  • June317 (8%)
  • July305 (7.7%)
  • August321 (8.1%)
  • September318 (8%)
  • October387 (9.8%)
  • November378 (9.6%)
  • December341 (8.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,764 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,167 (30%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown13 (0.3%)
  • Dark, no street lighting4 (0.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds2,908 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds609 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds72 (1.8%)
  • Raining with high winds63 (1.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds39 (1%)
  • Fog or mist12 (0.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds6 (0.2%)
  • Other200 (5.1%)
  • Not recorded43 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry2,340 (59%)
  • Wet or damp1,461 (37%)
  • Frost or ice113 (2.9%)
  • Snow34 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph5 (0.1%)
  • 20 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 30 mph3,281 (83%)
  • 40 mph575 (15%)
  • 50 mph29 (0.7%)
  • 60 mph11 (0.3%)
  • 70 mph49 (1.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway2,876 (73%)
  • Dual carriageway775 (20%)
  • Roundabout206 (5.2%)
  • One way street or slip road91 (2.3%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Birmingham in 1986

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant2,226 (44%)
  • Pedestrian1,566 (31%)
  • Motorcyclist545 (11%)
  • Cyclist287 (5.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant182 (3.6%)
  • Van occupant148 (2.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)31 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant24 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant20 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5211 (4.2%)
  • 6 to 10372 (7.4%)
  • 11 to 15406 (8.1%)
  • 16 to 20966 (19%)
  • 21 to 25836 (17%)
  • 26 to 35749 (15%)
  • 36 to 45518 (10%)
  • 46 to 55329 (6.5%)
  • 56 to 65315 (6.3%)
  • 66 to 75199 (4%)
  • Over 75134 (2.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider2,157 (43%)
  • Pedestrian1,566 (31%)
  • Passenger1,312 (26%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car4,569 (71%)
  • Motorcycle558 (8.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes452 (7%)
  • Pedal cycle293 (4.5%)
  • Bus or coach243 (3.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes195 (3%)
  • Other vehicle74 (1.1%)
  • Minibus36 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car31 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

How Birmingham ranked among 350 areas in 1986

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Birmingham had the most road collisions in 1986.

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 1986

The A4040 had the most collisions in Birmingham in 1986: 266, including 5 fatal and 63 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Birmingham, 1986
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4040266363563
2ndA38213292855
3rdA41196254245
4thA34156202734
5thA45115151120
6thA441105131429
7thA512796124225
8thA45684116221
9thA43581103114
10thA477190118
11thB41287187223
12thA4536789316
13thA4526693120
14thA45406181314
15thB41484766614
16thM64257210
17thA4400384927
18thA457373816
19thB4217374509
20thA4097253603

Towns in Birmingham: crashes in 1986

Birmingham itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1986: 2.

Postcode districts in Birmingham: crashes in 1986

B26, B31 and B75 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Birmingham in 1986, with 1 each.

Latest crashes in Birmingham in 1986

Of the last 24 crashes in Birmingham in 1986, 1 was fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1986.

Severity

Birmingham road accidents in other years