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CrashStats

Cardiff road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,156 road traffic collisions in Cardiff in 1981, and 1,429 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 12 were fatal and 298 were serious.

Collisions were down 8% on 1980 (1,253), and casualties fell from 1,556.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 43,003 collisions in Cardiff.

Collisions in 1981
1,156
Down 8% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,429
Down 8% on 1980
Fatal collisions
12
1% of collisions
Serious collisions
298
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Cardiff in 1981

1% of collisions in Cardiff in 1981 were fatal and 26% serious, against 1.2% and 13% in Cardiff from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal121%
  • Serious29826%
  • Slight84673%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal120.8%
  • Serious34824%
  • Slight1,06975%

Cardiff road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Cardiff, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,341 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,156, down 8% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025272348
2024240330
2023293362
2022275373
2021265309
2020258301
2019436564
2018366482
2017480619
2016535689
2015622816
2014641851
2013644867
2012618802
20117441,125
20107541,117
20098261,115
20089091,226
20079851,432
20061,0201,390
20051,1181,516
20041,1231,556
20031,1961,634
20021,1881,682
20011,1431,544
20001,1301,575
19991,0921,489
19981,1171,474
19971,1361,476
19961,1191,487
19951,1751,516
19941,3071,714
19931,1451,457
19921,2351,577
19911,1521,503
19901,3241,664
19891,3411,676
19881,3061,574
19871,1301,391
19861,1331,459
19851,1361,382
19841,1561,414
19831,1231,355
19821,1931,459
19811,1561,429
19801,2531,556
19791,1931,457

When and where crashes happen in Cardiff in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday152 (13%)
  • Tuesday171 (15%)
  • Wednesday149 (13%)
  • Thursday188 (16%)
  • Friday194 (17%)
  • Saturday173 (15%)
  • Sunday129 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5950 (4.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5918 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59108 (9.3%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59165 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59186 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59298 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59167 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59164 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January88 (7.6%)
  • February98 (8.5%)
  • March81 (7%)
  • April84 (7.3%)
  • May93 (8%)
  • June98 (8.5%)
  • July104 (9%)
  • August80 (6.9%)
  • September81 (7%)
  • October132 (11%)
  • November109 (9.4%)
  • December108 (9.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight786 (68%)
  • Dark, street lights lit340 (29%)
  • Dark, no street lighting18 (1.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown10 (0.9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds854 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds218 (19%)
  • Raining with high winds18 (1.6%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (1.5%)
  • Fog or mist11 (1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds8 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other28 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry705 (61%)
  • Wet or damp425 (37%)
  • Frost or ice20 (1.7%)
  • Snow6 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph2 (0.2%)
  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph996 (86%)
  • 40 mph83 (7.2%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph37 (3.2%)
  • 70 mph34 (2.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway917 (79%)
  • Dual carriageway173 (15%)
  • Roundabout31 (2.7%)
  • One way street or slip road17 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded18 (1.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Cardiff in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant594 (42%)
  • Pedestrian371 (26%)
  • Motorcyclist251 (18%)
  • Cyclist117 (8.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant43 (3%)
  • Van occupant32 (2.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant9 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 537 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 1095 (6.6%)
  • 11 to 15103 (7.2%)
  • 16 to 20370 (26%)
  • 21 to 25182 (13%)
  • 26 to 35211 (15%)
  • 36 to 45149 (10%)
  • 46 to 55119 (8.3%)
  • 56 to 6588 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7551 (3.6%)
  • Over 7523 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider708 (50%)
  • Pedestrian371 (26%)
  • Passenger350 (24%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,263 (66%)
  • Motorcycle261 (14%)
  • Pedal cycle124 (6.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes97 (5.1%)
  • Bus or coach70 (3.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes61 (3.2%)
  • Minibus13 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle13 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Cardiff in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Cardiff

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Cardiff ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Cardiff had the 50th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
50th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
56th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
182nd
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
41st
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Cardiff with the most crashes in 1981

The A4161 had the most collisions in Cardiff in 1981: 123, including 1 fatal and 27 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Cardiff, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA4161123147127
2ndA47089108116
3rdA4887126127
4thA41195969013
5thA469556517
6thA40554760014
7thA4054242604
8thA4160203308
9thB4261152204
10thM4141914
11thB4487131811
12thB42626901
13thB42394402
14thA40691100
15thB42641100
16thB44821100
17thB44971101

Towns in Cardiff: crashes in 1981

Cardiff itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 1,015.

Postcode districts in Cardiff: crashes in 1981

CF5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Cardiff in 1981: 246.

Latest crashes in Cardiff in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Cardiff in 1981, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Cardiff road accidents in other years