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CrashStats

Birmingham road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 4,059 road traffic collisions in Birmingham in 1997, and 5,449 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 48 were fatal and 621 were serious.

Collisions were up 7% on 1996 (3,808), and casualties rose from 5,038.

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

Collisions in 1997
4,059
Up 7% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
5,449
Up 8% on 1996
Fatal collisions
48
1.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
621
15% of collisions

Crash severity in Birmingham in 1997

1.2% of collisions in Birmingham in 1997 were fatal and 15% serious, against 1.2% and 17% in Birmingham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal481.2%
  • Serious62115%
  • Slight3,39084%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal480.9%
  • Serious70913%
  • Slight4,69286%

Birmingham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Birmingham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 4,597 in 1980. 1997 is highlighted, with 4,059, up 7% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday579 (14%)
  • Tuesday564 (14%)
  • Wednesday622 (15%)
  • Thursday572 (14%)
  • Friday702 (17%)
  • Saturday580 (14%)
  • Sunday440 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59151 (3.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5964 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59416 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59535 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59745 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:591,040 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59738 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59370 (9.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January295 (7.3%)
  • February306 (7.5%)
  • March325 (8%)
  • April310 (7.6%)
  • May354 (8.7%)
  • June349 (8.6%)
  • July323 (8%)
  • August326 (8%)
  • September327 (8.1%)
  • October366 (9%)
  • November405 (10%)
  • December373 (9.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight2,933 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit1,105 (27%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown12 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.1%)
  • Dark, no street lighting3 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds2,892 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds784 (19%)
  • Fog or mist48 (1.2%)
  • Raining with high winds42 (1%)
  • Fine with high winds29 (0.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds9 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (under 0.1%)
  • Other213 (5.2%)
  • Not recorded41 (1%)

Road surface

  • Dry2,423 (60%)
  • Wet or damp1,596 (39%)
  • Frost or ice27 (0.7%)
  • Snow12 (0.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (under 0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (under 0.1%)
  • 30 mph3,445 (85%)
  • 40 mph521 (13%)
  • 50 mph22 (0.5%)
  • 60 mph7 (0.2%)
  • 70 mph62 (1.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway2,854 (70%)
  • Dual carriageway897 (22%)
  • Roundabout194 (4.8%)
  • One way street or slip road114 (2.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Birmingham in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant3,335 (61%)
  • Pedestrian1,176 (22%)
  • Cyclist358 (6.6%)
  • Motorcyclist226 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant156 (2.9%)
  • Van occupant126 (2.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant23 (0.4%)
  • Minibus occupant19 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant17 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)13 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5186 (3.4%)
  • 6 to 10363 (6.7%)
  • 11 to 15383 (7%)
  • 16 to 20670 (12%)
  • 21 to 25752 (14%)
  • 26 to 351,334 (24%)
  • 36 to 45714 (13%)
  • 46 to 55435 (8%)
  • 56 to 65257 (4.7%)
  • 66 to 75205 (3.8%)
  • Over 75150 (2.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider2,747 (50%)
  • Passenger1,526 (28%)
  • Pedestrian1,176 (22%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car5,857 (80%)
  • Pedal cycle360 (4.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes357 (4.9%)
  • Motorcycle235 (3.2%)
  • Bus or coach190 (2.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes154 (2.1%)
  • Other vehicle49 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car43 (0.6%)
  • Minibus38 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Birmingham in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 351 areas in 1997

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Birmingham had the most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
1st
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
1st
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
2nd
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Birmingham with the most crashes in 1997

The A4040 had the most collisions in Birmingham in 1997: 320, including 5 fatal and 55 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Birmingham, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4040320451555
2ndA41213288330
3rdA38187248728
4thA34152216315
5thA45100129216
6thA45698139117
7thA44189115117
8thA512780109010
9thA43578100113
10thB4128739817
11thA45407297111
12thM66511505
13thA4764109215
14thA4400546723
15thA452476209
16thA453426125
17thA457405602
18thA4097396213
19thB4148385014
20thB4217374812

Towns in Birmingham: crashes in 1997

Birmingham itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1997: 3,636.

Postcode districts in Birmingham: crashes in 1997

B31 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Birmingham in 1997: 188.

Latest crashes in Birmingham in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Birmingham in 1997, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Birmingham road accidents in other years