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CrashStats

Bristol road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,278 road traffic collisions in Bristol in 1997, and 1,597 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 15 were fatal and 132 were serious.

Collisions were down 6% on 1996 (1,362), and casualties fell from 1,651.

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

Collisions in 1997
1,278
Down 6% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
1,597
Down 3% on 1996
Fatal collisions
15
1.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
132
10% of collisions

Crash severity in Bristol in 1997

1.2% of collisions in Bristol in 1997 were fatal and 10% serious, against 1.2% and 15% in Bristol from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal151.2%
  • Serious13210%
  • Slight1,13188%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal161%
  • Serious1418.8%
  • Slight1,44090%

Bristol road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Bristol, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,745 in 1982. 1997 is highlighted, with 1,278, down 6% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday175 (14%)
  • Tuesday184 (14%)
  • Wednesday216 (17%)
  • Thursday205 (16%)
  • Friday208 (16%)
  • Saturday159 (12%)
  • Sunday131 (10%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5954 (4.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5917 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59145 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59169 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59226 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59321 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59227 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59119 (9.3%)

Collisions by month

  • January82 (6.4%)
  • February100 (7.8%)
  • March95 (7.4%)
  • April120 (9.4%)
  • May109 (8.5%)
  • June101 (7.9%)
  • July95 (7.4%)
  • August93 (7.3%)
  • September108 (8.5%)
  • October115 (9%)
  • November148 (12%)
  • December112 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight914 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit306 (24%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown43 (3.4%)
  • Dark, no street lighting12 (0.9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds968 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds200 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds30 (2.3%)
  • Raining with high winds15 (1.2%)
  • Fog or mist9 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.2%)
  • Other38 (3%)
  • Not recorded14 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry885 (69%)
  • Wet or damp385 (30%)
  • Frost or ice5 (0.4%)
  • Snow3 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph1,181 (92%)
  • 40 mph42 (3.3%)
  • 50 mph20 (1.6%)
  • 60 mph22 (1.7%)
  • 70 mph12 (0.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway959 (75%)
  • Dual carriageway162 (13%)
  • Roundabout80 (6.3%)
  • One way street or slip road55 (4.3%)
  • Not recorded22 (1.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Bristol in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant857 (54%)
  • Pedestrian334 (21%)
  • Cyclist176 (11%)
  • Motorcyclist135 (8.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant66 (4.1%)
  • Van occupant13 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle occupant9 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant4 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)2 (0.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 552 (3.3%)
  • 6 to 1088 (5.5%)
  • 11 to 15111 (7%)
  • 16 to 20239 (15%)
  • 21 to 25246 (15%)
  • 26 to 35391 (24%)
  • 36 to 45187 (12%)
  • 46 to 55124 (7.8%)
  • 56 to 6578 (4.9%)
  • 66 to 7549 (3.1%)
  • Over 7532 (2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider856 (54%)
  • Passenger407 (25%)
  • Pedestrian334 (21%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,815 (78%)
  • Pedal cycle179 (7.7%)
  • Motorcycle147 (6.3%)
  • Bus or coach81 (3.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes43 (1.9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes23 (1%)
  • Other vehicle20 (0.9%)
  • Minibus7 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Bristol in 1997

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

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Bristol had the 37th most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
37th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
42nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
46th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
81st
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Bristol with the most crashes in 1997

The A38 had the most collisions in Bristol in 1997: 98, including 2 fatal and 11 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Bristol, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3898115211
2ndA48411027
3rdA40186991011
4thA420658017
5thA432364513
6thA37344405
7thA4044273711
8thB4469274102
9thB4054263305
10thA370202503
11thA4032192402
12thB4051182100
13thA4174171901
14thM5173002
15thA3029141800
16thB4056131602
17thM32131601
18thA4176121500
19thB4465121900
20thB3122111403

Towns in Bristol: crashes in 1997

Bristol itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1997: 1,050.

Postcode districts in Bristol: crashes in 1997

BS5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Bristol in 1997: 176.

Latest crashes in Bristol in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Bristol in 1997, none were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Bristol road accidents in other years