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CrashStats

Cambridge road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 531 road traffic collisions in Cambridge in 1981, and 601 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 150 were serious.

Collisions were level with 1980 (533), and casualties fell from 634.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 23,357 collisions in Cambridge.

Collisions in 1981
531
Level with 1980
Casualties in 1981
601
Down 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
4
0.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
150
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Cambridge in 1981

0.8% of collisions in Cambridge in 1981 were fatal and 28% serious, against 0.5% and 18% in Cambridge from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal40.8%
  • Serious15028%
  • Slight37771%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal40.7%
  • Serious15926%
  • Slight43873%

Cambridge road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Cambridge, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 825 in 1990. 1981 is highlighted, with 531, level with 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981: 531
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025215249
2024215245
2023235263
2022271311
2021251280
2020202225
2019330370
2018306350
2017339380
2016394437
2015346368
2014387424
2013346374
2012377410
2011384425
2010418477
2009452512
2008426493
2007420492
2006492583
2005470547
2004522586
2003473535
2002508579
2001522622
2000585676
1999549632
1998609694
1997600729
1996593674
1995619697
1994629709
1993617708
1992622696
1991701806
1990825926
1989764884
1988681781
1987667757
1986726804
1985686807
1984730833
1983643735
1982642748
1981531601
1980533634
1979504595

When and where crashes happen in Cambridge in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday76 (14%)
  • Tuesday81 (15%)
  • Wednesday73 (14%)
  • Thursday79 (15%)
  • Friday106 (20%)
  • Saturday70 (13%)
  • Sunday46 (8.7%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5917 (3.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:591 (0.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5963 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5973 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59102 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59128 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5967 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5980 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January40 (7.5%)
  • February45 (8.5%)
  • March57 (11%)
  • April33 (6.2%)
  • May49 (9.2%)
  • June34 (6.4%)
  • July44 (8.3%)
  • August45 (8.5%)
  • September54 (10%)
  • October56 (11%)
  • November51 (9.6%)
  • December23 (4.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight367 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit155 (29%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (1.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds410 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds73 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (1.5%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (1.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (1.1%)
  • Fog or mist2 (0.4%)
  • Other22 (4.1%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry351 (66%)
  • Wet or damp167 (31%)
  • Frost or ice7 (1.3%)
  • Snow5 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph479 (90%)
  • 40 mph32 (6%)
  • 60 mph17 (3.2%)
  • 70 mph3 (0.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway413 (78%)
  • Roundabout68 (13%)
  • Dual carriageway30 (5.6%)
  • One way street or slip road14 (2.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Cambridge in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Cyclist193 (32%)
  • Motorcyclist178 (30%)
  • Car occupant118 (20%)
  • Pedestrian91 (15%)
  • Bus or coach occupant12 (2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Van occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 510 (1.7%)
  • 6 to 1012 (2%)
  • 11 to 1541 (6.8%)
  • 16 to 20200 (33%)
  • 21 to 2592 (15%)
  • 26 to 3585 (14%)
  • 36 to 4544 (7.3%)
  • 46 to 5537 (6.2%)
  • 56 to 6539 (6.5%)
  • 66 to 7522 (3.7%)
  • Over 7519 (3.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider439 (73%)
  • Pedestrian91 (15%)
  • Passenger71 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car426 (46%)
  • Pedal cycle220 (24%)
  • Motorcycle196 (21%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes25 (2.7%)
  • Bus or coach19 (2.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes13 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car9 (1%)
  • Other vehicle6 (0.7%)
  • Minibus4 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Cambridge in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Cambridge

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Cambridge ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Cambridge had the 168th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
168th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
219th
of 349 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
314th
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
171st
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Cambridge with the most crashes in 1981

The A1134 had the most collisions in Cambridge in 1981: 100, including 2 fatal and 28 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Cambridge, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1134100114228
2ndA6034446014
3rdA13073846010
4thA1303273209
5thA1309172005
6thB1049131503
7thA103302
8thA10492201
9thA6042200
10thA111200
11thA13011100
12thA2891100
13thA451100
14thB10471101

Towns in Cambridge: crashes in 1981

Cambridge, Cambridge had the most collisions of any town in Cambridge in 1981: 389.

Postcode districts in Cambridge: crashes in 1981

CB1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Cambridge in 1981: 165.

Latest crashes in Cambridge in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Cambridge in 1981, none were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Cambridge road accidents in other years