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CrashStats

Chelmsford road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 669 road traffic collisions in Chelmsford in 1981, and 918 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 205 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1980 (656), and casualties rose from 914.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 25,575 collisions in Chelmsford.

Collisions in 1981
669
Up 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
918
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
13
1.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
205
31% of collisions

Crash severity in Chelmsford in 1981

1.9% of collisions in Chelmsford in 1981 were fatal and 31% serious, against 1.7% and 22% in Chelmsford from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal131.9%
  • Serious20531%
  • Slight45167%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal131.4%
  • Serious24326%
  • Slight66272%

Chelmsford road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Chelmsford, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 832 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 669, up 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025307378
2024300393
2023324425
2022340448
2021256334
2020250336
2019289381
2018335424
2017318402
2016348435
2015360463
2014351450
2013376465
2012382465
2011435565
2010438579
2009434561
2008465568
2007521673
2006578745
2005571785
2004646856
2003584779
2002555735
2001624802
2000628844
1999676913
1998648887
1997655867
1996582782
1995606843
1994668895
1993597845
1992625829
1991615850
19907161,011
19898321,171
19888251,202
19877991,082
19868031,111
19857511,004
19847411,034
1983702940
1982707948
1981669918
1980656914
1979687910

When and where crashes happen in Chelmsford in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday93 (14%)
  • Tuesday109 (16%)
  • Wednesday96 (14%)
  • Thursday102 (15%)
  • Friday103 (15%)
  • Saturday87 (13%)
  • Sunday79 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5926 (3.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5910 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59101 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5982 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59115 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59172 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5991 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5972 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January65 (9.7%)
  • February58 (8.7%)
  • March67 (10%)
  • April50 (7.5%)
  • May55 (8.2%)
  • June55 (8.2%)
  • July63 (9.4%)
  • August50 (7.5%)
  • September56 (8.4%)
  • October60 (9%)
  • November49 (7.3%)
  • December41 (6.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight482 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit115 (17%)
  • Dark, no street lighting72 (11%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds519 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds96 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds12 (1.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds9 (1.3%)
  • Fog or mist8 (1.2%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Other16 (2.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry406 (61%)
  • Wet or damp225 (34%)
  • Frost or ice24 (3.6%)
  • Snow11 (1.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep3 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph290 (43%)
  • 40 mph106 (16%)
  • 50 mph52 (7.8%)
  • 60 mph178 (27%)
  • 70 mph43 (6.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway552 (83%)
  • Dual carriageway51 (7.6%)
  • Roundabout41 (6.1%)
  • One way street or slip road25 (3.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Chelmsford in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant465 (51%)
  • Motorcyclist210 (23%)
  • Pedestrian107 (12%)
  • Cyclist76 (8.3%)
  • Van occupant32 (3.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)12 (1.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant10 (1.1%)
  • Minibus occupant5 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 514 (1.5%)
  • 6 to 1031 (3.4%)
  • 11 to 1561 (6.6%)
  • 16 to 20246 (27%)
  • 21 to 25142 (15%)
  • 26 to 35133 (14%)
  • 36 to 4586 (9.4%)
  • 46 to 5587 (9.5%)
  • 56 to 6566 (7.2%)
  • 66 to 7530 (3.3%)
  • Over 7522 (2.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider584 (64%)
  • Passenger227 (25%)
  • Pedestrian107 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car775 (63%)
  • Motorcycle217 (18%)
  • Pedal cycle83 (6.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes73 (5.9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes64 (5.2%)
  • Bus or coach19 (1.5%)
  • Minibus5 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Chelmsford in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Chelmsford

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Chelmsford ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Chelmsford had the 120th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
120th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
113th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
157th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
96th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Chelmsford with the most crashes in 1981

The A130 had the most collisions in Chelmsford in 1981: 107, including 2 fatal and 31 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Chelmsford, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA130107154231
2ndA4146690022
3rdA124661215
4thA122333707
5thA11133137012
6thB1007263818
7thA1099192414
8thA131173025
9thB1418142812
10thA1060132304
11thB1009131804
12thB1137121405
13thA101691002
14thB100891102
15thA13282113
16thB101271303
17thB10022300
18thB14171100

Towns in Chelmsford: crashes in 1981

Chelmsford itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 290.

Postcode districts in Chelmsford: crashes in 1981

CM1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Chelmsford in 1981: 233.

Latest crashes in Chelmsford in 1981

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

Severity

Chelmsford road accidents in other years