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CrashStats

Bristol road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,508 road traffic collisions in Bristol in 1985, and 1,792 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 31 were fatal and 296 were serious.

Collisions were down 4% on 1984 (1,575), and casualties fell from 1,833.

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

Collisions in 1985
1,508
Down 4% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
1,792
Down 2% on 1984
Fatal collisions
31
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
296
20% of collisions

Crash severity in Bristol in 1985

2.1% of collisions in Bristol in 1985 were fatal and 20% serious, against 1.2% and 15% in Bristol from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal312.1%
  • Serious29620%
  • Slight1,18178%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal372.1%
  • Serious33118%
  • Slight1,42479%

Bristol road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bristol, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,745 in 1982. 1985 is highlighted, with 1,508, down 4% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985: 1,508
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday205 (14%)
  • Tuesday233 (15%)
  • Wednesday222 (15%)
  • Thursday220 (15%)
  • Friday272 (18%)
  • Saturday213 (14%)
  • Sunday143 (9.5%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5993 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5915 (1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59175 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59174 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59247 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59392 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59212 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59200 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January117 (7.8%)
  • February106 (7%)
  • March110 (7.3%)
  • April106 (7%)
  • May123 (8.2%)
  • June128 (8.5%)
  • July112 (7.4%)
  • August117 (7.8%)
  • September136 (9%)
  • October146 (9.7%)
  • November163 (11%)
  • December144 (9.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,016 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit484 (32%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.3%)
  • Dark, no street lighting4 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,221 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds195 (13%)
  • Raining with high winds18 (1.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds11 (0.7%)
  • Fine with high winds9 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other48 (3.2%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,102 (73%)
  • Wet or damp367 (24%)
  • Frost or ice29 (1.9%)
  • Snow10 (0.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 15 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph1,425 (94%)
  • 40 mph39 (2.6%)
  • 50 mph13 (0.9%)
  • 60 mph19 (1.3%)
  • 70 mph10 (0.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,196 (79%)
  • Dual carriageway143 (9.5%)
  • One way street or slip road99 (6.6%)
  • Roundabout68 (4.5%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bristol in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Motorcyclist568 (32%)
  • Car occupant532 (30%)
  • Pedestrian434 (24%)
  • Cyclist166 (9.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant67 (3.7%)
  • Van occupant16 (0.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.1%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 557 (3.2%)
  • 6 to 1084 (4.7%)
  • 11 to 15122 (6.8%)
  • 16 to 20553 (31%)
  • 21 to 25296 (17%)
  • 26 to 35247 (14%)
  • 36 to 45143 (8%)
  • 46 to 55103 (5.7%)
  • 56 to 6599 (5.5%)
  • 66 to 7550 (2.8%)
  • Over 7538 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,013 (57%)
  • Pedestrian434 (24%)
  • Passenger345 (19%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,494 (59%)
  • Motorcycle604 (24%)
  • Pedal cycle172 (6.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes95 (3.8%)
  • Bus or coach82 (3.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes36 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car16 (0.6%)
  • Minibus11 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle7 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bristol in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 in Bristol

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Bristol ranked among 350 areas in 1985

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bristol had the 25th most road collisions in 1985.

Collisions
25th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
31st
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
22nd
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
38th
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Bristol with the most crashes in 1985

The A38 had the most collisions in Bristol in 1985: 162, including 27 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bristol, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38162198027
2ndA496111222
3rdA40187587217
4thA4207485013
5thA4325864015
6thA4044536519
7thB4054354526
8thA37344824
9thA4174293318
10thB4051293529
11thB4465262804
12thB4469252719
13thA3029232604
14thA370192303
15thB3120182004
16thB4053171700
17thB4056151712
18thB4058131904
19thA4320121205
20thB4468121300

Towns in Bristol: crashes in 1985

Bristol itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1985: 1,272.

Postcode districts in Bristol: crashes in 1985

BS1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bristol in 1985: 221.

Latest crashes in Bristol in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in Bristol in 1985, 1 was fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1985.

Severity

Bristol road accidents in other years