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CrashStats

Bristol road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,549 road traffic collisions in Bristol in 1981, and 1,838 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 21 were fatal and 386 were serious.

Collisions were up 6% on 1980 (1,465), and casualties rose from 1,772.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 59,613 collisions in Bristol.

Collisions in 1981
1,549
Up 6% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,838
Up 4% on 1980
Fatal collisions
21
1.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
386
25% of collisions

Crash severity in Bristol in 1981

1.4% of collisions in Bristol in 1981 were fatal and 25% serious, against 1.2% and 15% in Bristol from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal211.4%
  • Serious38625%
  • Slight1,14274%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal211.1%
  • Serious43824%
  • Slight1,37975%

Bristol road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bristol, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,745 in 1982. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,549, up 6% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981: 1,549
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025753844
2024841955
2023809935
2022873988
2021835917
2020646770
20199671,131
20189471,144
20178481,014
20161,0231,199
20159421,155
20141,0241,201
20139361,110
20121,0771,336
20111,0401,281
20101,0871,348
20091,1831,425
20081,1061,347
20071,4431,748
20061,4651,806
20051,4981,818
20041,4711,829
20031,4781,837
20021,5751,959
20011,5451,946
20001,5271,897
19991,6592,086
19981,5932,003
19971,2781,597
19961,3621,651
19951,3161,567
19941,2631,584
19931,3411,606
19921,2001,431
19911,2781,506
19901,3251,551
19891,4081,660
19881,5291,805
19871,5391,810
19861,5481,825
19851,5081,792
19841,5751,833
19831,5931,903
19821,7452,149
19811,5491,838
19801,4651,772
19791,6001,918

When and where crashes happen in Bristol in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday214 (14%)
  • Tuesday250 (16%)
  • Wednesday222 (14%)
  • Thursday240 (15%)
  • Friday263 (17%)
  • Saturday231 (15%)
  • Sunday129 (8.3%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5983 (5.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5920 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59169 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59183 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59260 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59389 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59233 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59212 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January97 (6.3%)
  • February107 (6.9%)
  • March121 (7.8%)
  • April106 (6.8%)
  • May140 (9%)
  • June117 (7.6%)
  • July169 (11%)
  • August114 (7.4%)
  • September153 (9.9%)
  • October155 (10%)
  • November149 (9.6%)
  • December121 (7.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,069 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit469 (30%)
  • Dark, no street lighting7 (0.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,230 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds250 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (1.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds15 (1%)
  • Fog or mist10 (0.6%)
  • Raining with high winds10 (0.6%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.1%)
  • Other13 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,099 (71%)
  • Wet or damp428 (28%)
  • Frost or ice14 (0.9%)
  • Snow8 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 15 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph1,480 (96%)
  • 40 mph22 (1.4%)
  • 50 mph12 (0.8%)
  • 60 mph19 (1.2%)
  • 70 mph14 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,258 (81%)
  • Dual carriageway134 (8.7%)
  • One way street or slip road100 (6.5%)
  • Roundabout57 (3.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bristol in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Motorcyclist585 (32%)
  • Car occupant561 (31%)
  • Pedestrian430 (23%)
  • Cyclist167 (9.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant59 (3.2%)
  • Van occupant20 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 542 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1097 (5.3%)
  • 11 to 15136 (7.4%)
  • 16 to 20598 (33%)
  • 21 to 25243 (13%)
  • 26 to 35241 (13%)
  • 36 to 45119 (6.5%)
  • 46 to 55136 (7.4%)
  • 56 to 65102 (5.5%)
  • 66 to 7577 (4.2%)
  • Over 7547 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,034 (56%)
  • Pedestrian430 (23%)
  • Passenger374 (20%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,525 (59%)
  • Motorcycle623 (24%)
  • Pedal cycle175 (6.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes106 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach89 (3.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes41 (1.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car15 (0.6%)
  • Minibus9 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle9 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bristol in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Bristol

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Bristol ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bristol had the 26th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
26th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
29th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
61st
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
24th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Bristol with the most crashes in 1981

The A38 had the most collisions in Bristol in 1981: 161, including 2 fatal and 44 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bristol, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38161193244
2ndA48798127
3rdA40186984118
4thA40445971114
5thA4205763013
6thA4325661017
7thA375062110
8thB4051424309
9thA4174243318
10thB4054223625
11thB4469222703
12thB4056192312
13thA431171800
14thB4465171905
15thB3122141726
16thB4052141404
17thB3120131406
18thM32131613
19thA3029121304
20thA370121613

Towns in Bristol: crashes in 1981

Bristol itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 1,336.

Postcode districts in Bristol: crashes in 1981

BS1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bristol in 1981: 239.

Latest crashes in Bristol in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Bristol in 1981, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Bristol road accidents in other years