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CrashStats

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 971 road traffic collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1997, and 1,401 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 22 were fatal and 135 were serious.

Collisions were up 1% on 1996 (959), and casualties rose from 1,367.

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

Collisions in 1997
971
Up 1% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
1,401
Up 2% on 1996
Fatal collisions
22
2.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
135
14% of collisions

Crash severity in Central Bedfordshire in 1997

2.3% of collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1997 were fatal and 14% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in Central Bedfordshire from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal222.3%
  • Serious13514%
  • Slight81484%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal221.6%
  • Serious16312%
  • Slight1,21687%

Central Bedfordshire road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Central Bedfordshire, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,211 in 1989. 1997 is highlighted, with 971, up 1% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday131 (13%)
  • Tuesday159 (16%)
  • Wednesday124 (13%)
  • Thursday150 (15%)
  • Friday164 (17%)
  • Saturday138 (14%)
  • Sunday105 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5944 (4.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5926 (2.7%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59145 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59130 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59152 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59212 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59178 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5984 (8.7%)

Collisions by month

  • January98 (10%)
  • February68 (7%)
  • March76 (7.8%)
  • April72 (7.4%)
  • May81 (8.3%)
  • June89 (9.2%)
  • July89 (9.2%)
  • August67 (6.9%)
  • September74 (7.6%)
  • October91 (9.4%)
  • November84 (8.7%)
  • December82 (8.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight688 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit159 (16%)
  • Dark, no street lighting120 (12%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds777 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds123 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds23 (2.4%)
  • Fog or mist20 (2.1%)
  • Raining with high winds17 (1.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds5 (0.5%)
  • Other5 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry598 (62%)
  • Wet or damp353 (36%)
  • Frost or ice16 (1.6%)
  • Snow3 (0.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph394 (41%)
  • 40 mph38 (3.9%)
  • 50 mph13 (1.3%)
  • 60 mph365 (38%)
  • 70 mph160 (16%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway721 (74%)
  • Dual carriageway205 (21%)
  • Roundabout36 (3.7%)
  • One way street or slip road8 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,007 (72%)
  • Pedestrian120 (8.6%)
  • Motorcyclist90 (6.4%)
  • Cyclist86 (6.1%)
  • Van occupant55 (3.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)27 (1.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 522 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 1060 (4.3%)
  • 11 to 1577 (5.5%)
  • 16 to 20228 (16%)
  • 21 to 25212 (15%)
  • 26 to 35316 (23%)
  • 36 to 45192 (14%)
  • 46 to 55139 (9.9%)
  • 56 to 6574 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7546 (3.3%)
  • Over 7535 (2.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider888 (63%)
  • Passenger393 (28%)
  • Pedestrian120 (8.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,391 (75%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes137 (7.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes120 (6.5%)
  • Motorcycle87 (4.7%)
  • Pedal cycle86 (4.6%)
  • Bus or coach14 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle12 (0.6%)
  • Minibus7 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car5 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Central Bedfordshire in 1997

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

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Central Bedfordshire had the 73rd most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
73rd
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
59th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
19th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
79th
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Central Bedfordshire with the most crashes in 1997

The M1 had the most collisions in Central Bedfordshire in 1997: 101, including 2 fatal and 5 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Central Bedfordshire, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stM110117325
2ndA580114217
3rdA1537125
4thA51205183110
5thA505476715
6thA6406726
7thA507365825
8thA4146233006
9thB489182604
10thA421173121
11thA603162002
12thB1042162501
13thA4012152315
14thA600142411
15thB4540121904
16thB1040111123
17thB530111611
18thA600191101
19thB65891504
20thB65571001

Towns in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 1997

Dunstable had the most collisions of any town in Central Bedfordshire in 1997: 120.

Postcode districts in Central Bedfordshire: crashes in 1997

MK45 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Central Bedfordshire in 1997: 160.

Latest crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Central Bedfordshire in 1997, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Central Bedfordshire road accidents in other years