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CrashStats

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,031 road traffic collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1981, and 1,488 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 25 were fatal and 230 were serious.

Collisions were down 12% on 1980 (1,166), and casualties fell from 1,659.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 39,453 collisions in Central Bedfordshire.

Collisions in 1981
1,031
Down 12% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,488
Down 10% on 1980
Fatal collisions
25
2.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
230
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Central Bedfordshire in 1981

2.4% of collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1981 were fatal and 22% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in Central Bedfordshire from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal252.4%
  • Serious23022%
  • Slight77675%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal261.7%
  • Serious31121%
  • Slight1,15177%

Central Bedfordshire road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Central Bedfordshire, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,211 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,031, down 12% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025475688
2024510738
2023580838
2022528742
2021471695
2020437642
2019583884
2018649953
20177231,033
2016621894
2015609904
2014672964
2013565831
2012636865
2011624919
2010686991
20097071,030
20087021,020
20077731,121
20067821,090
20057711,101
20047791,155
20037601,145
20028051,170
20018911,321
20009881,470
19999721,435
19989711,436
19979711,401
19969591,367
19958991,370
19949061,307
19939151,339
19921,0121,493
19919731,441
19901,1661,696
19891,2111,769
19881,1171,667
19871,1761,680
19861,1571,677
19851,1361,561
19841,1291,629
19831,0221,426
19821,0861,516
19811,0311,488
19801,1661,659
19791,1511,656

When and where crashes happen in Central Bedfordshire in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday131 (13%)
  • Tuesday128 (12%)
  • Wednesday138 (13%)
  • Thursday164 (16%)
  • Friday188 (18%)
  • Saturday153 (15%)
  • Sunday129 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5944 (4.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5918 (1.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59147 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59135 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59147 (14%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59230 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59157 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59153 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January68 (6.6%)
  • February79 (7.7%)
  • March105 (10%)
  • April82 (8%)
  • May81 (7.9%)
  • June79 (7.7%)
  • July102 (9.9%)
  • August84 (8.1%)
  • September84 (8.1%)
  • October101 (9.8%)
  • November88 (8.5%)
  • December78 (7.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight694 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit182 (18%)
  • Dark, no street lighting148 (14%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds774 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds142 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds24 (2.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds18 (1.7%)
  • Fog or mist14 (1.4%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (1.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.2%)
  • Other37 (3.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry555 (54%)
  • Wet or damp411 (40%)
  • Frost or ice41 (4%)
  • Snow22 (2.1%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph433 (42%)
  • 40 mph37 (3.6%)
  • 50 mph8 (0.8%)
  • 60 mph412 (40%)
  • 70 mph141 (14%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway822 (80%)
  • Dual carriageway188 (18%)
  • Roundabout14 (1.4%)
  • One way street or slip road4 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant883 (59%)
  • Motorcyclist240 (16%)
  • Pedestrian136 (9.1%)
  • Cyclist81 (5.4%)
  • Van occupant64 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)33 (2.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant27 (1.8%)
  • Minibus occupant11 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant11 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 537 (2.5%)
  • 6 to 1066 (4.4%)
  • 11 to 1589 (6%)
  • 16 to 20365 (25%)
  • 21 to 25211 (14%)
  • 26 to 35277 (19%)
  • 36 to 45174 (12%)
  • 46 to 55109 (7.3%)
  • 56 to 6569 (4.6%)
  • 66 to 7572 (4.8%)
  • Over 7519 (1.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider846 (57%)
  • Passenger506 (34%)
  • Pedestrian136 (9.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,280 (67%)
  • Motorcycle231 (12%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes132 (6.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes100 (5.2%)
  • Pedal cycle83 (4.3%)
  • Other vehicle35 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach34 (1.8%)
  • Minibus8 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Central Bedfordshire in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Central Bedfordshire

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Central Bedfordshire ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Central Bedfordshire had the 72nd most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
72nd
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
53rd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
40th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
69th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Central Bedfordshire with the most crashes in 1981

The A5 had the most collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1981: 96, including 3 fatal and 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Central Bedfordshire, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA596136320
2ndM191163221
3rdA512070114221
4thA15381217
5thA418447128
6thA505404715
7thA507394606
8thA6314519
9thB489284207
10thA600223016
11thA6001222906
12thA4146203309
13thA4012172403
14thB1042151924
15thA603121300
16thA5140111722
17thB4540101912
18thB658101201
19thB10409902
20thB57991001

Towns in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 1981

Dunstable had the most collisions of any town in Central Bedfordshire in 1981: 114.

Postcode districts in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 1981

LU5 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Central Bedfordshire in 1981: 166.

Latest crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1981, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in other years