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CrashStats

City of Edinburgh road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 2,511 road traffic collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 1981, and 3,113 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 41 were fatal and 931 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1980 (2,575), and casualties fell from 3,175.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 74,538 collisions in the City of Edinburgh.

Collisions in 1981
2,511
Down 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
3,113
Down 2% on 1980
Fatal collisions
41
1.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
931
37% of collisions

Crash severity in the City of Edinburgh in 1981

1.6% of collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 1981 were fatal and 37% serious, against 1.1% and 20% in the City of Edinburgh from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal411.6%
  • Serious93137%
  • Slight1,53961%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal421.3%
  • Serious1,05334%
  • Slight2,01865%

City of Edinburgh road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the City of Edinburgh, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,575 in 1980. 1981 is highlighted, with 2,511, down 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025469593
2024481610
2023450552
2022507615
2021482576
2020436506
2019728877
2018768940
20179071,083
20161,1431,348
20151,1111,323
20141,2591,471
20131,1591,369
20121,1631,372
20111,1811,372
20101,1791,394
20091,1931,403
20081,2991,548
20071,3321,591
20061,4441,735
20051,4041,708
20041,5441,789
20031,4611,741
20021,6601,982
20011,7742,137
20001,8912,366
19991,9382,373
19982,0592,446
19971,9872,408
19962,0142,454
19951,8552,209
19942,0772,496
19931,9652,332
19922,0932,538
19912,1112,555
19902,2642,749
19892,3062,766
19882,1372,567
19872,0432,498
19862,1442,601
19852,3522,892
19842,3902,896
19832,3822,861
19822,3962,979
19812,5113,113
19802,5753,175
19792,5143,256

When and where crashes happen in the City of Edinburgh in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday328 (13%)
  • Tuesday333 (13%)
  • Wednesday370 (15%)
  • Thursday418 (17%)
  • Friday429 (17%)
  • Saturday399 (16%)
  • Sunday234 (9.3%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59117 (4.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5930 (1.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59232 (9.2%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59303 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59499 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59648 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59386 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59296 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January178 (7.1%)
  • February174 (6.9%)
  • March205 (8.2%)
  • April198 (7.9%)
  • May197 (7.8%)
  • June217 (8.6%)
  • July208 (8.3%)
  • August242 (9.6%)
  • September228 (9.1%)
  • October262 (10%)
  • November203 (8.1%)
  • December199 (7.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,768 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit707 (28%)
  • Dark, no street lighting35 (1.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (under 0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,988 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds377 (15%)
  • Snowing, no high winds50 (2%)
  • Fine with high winds28 (1.1%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist5 (0.2%)
  • Other48 (1.9%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,637 (65%)
  • Wet or damp755 (30%)
  • Frost or ice88 (3.5%)
  • Snow26 (1%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep5 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph2,256 (90%)
  • 40 mph138 (5.5%)
  • 60 mph91 (3.6%)
  • 70 mph24 (1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway2,159 (86%)
  • Dual carriageway215 (8.6%)
  • One way street or slip road69 (2.7%)
  • Roundabout68 (2.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,055 (34%)
  • Pedestrian877 (28%)
  • Motorcyclist551 (18%)
  • Bus or coach occupant235 (7.5%)
  • Cyclist212 (6.8%)
  • Van occupant101 (3.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant34 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)27 (0.9%)
  • Minibus occupant16 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant5 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 593 (3%)
  • 6 to 10143 (4.6%)
  • 11 to 15200 (6.4%)
  • 16 to 20693 (22%)
  • 21 to 25435 (14%)
  • 26 to 35455 (15%)
  • 36 to 45288 (9.3%)
  • 46 to 55246 (7.9%)
  • 56 to 65216 (6.9%)
  • 66 to 75207 (6.6%)
  • Over 75137 (4.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,397 (45%)
  • Pedestrian877 (28%)
  • Passenger839 (27%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,364 (59%)
  • Motorcycle586 (15%)
  • Bus or coach325 (8.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes267 (6.6%)
  • Pedal cycle224 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes123 (3.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car81 (2%)
  • Minibus25 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle23 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the City of Edinburgh in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in the City of Edinburgh

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How the City of Edinburgh ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the City of Edinburgh had the 6th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
6th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
6th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
15th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
4th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in the City of Edinburgh with the most crashes in 1981

The A8 had the most collisions in the City of Edinburgh in 1981: 236, including 6 fatal and 84 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the City of Edinburgh, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA8236310684
2ndA7120167239
3rdA90113154141
4thA702104114037
5thA7090112236
6thA7208397131
7thA716581226
8thA16280425
9thA9005563220
10thA9025265025
11thA1995168218
12thA60954355222
13thB9003742017
14thB9013235012
15thA682939116
16thB90852832017
17thA9012427011
18thA7012328013
19thB701171728
20thB1350141404

Towns in the City of Edinburgh: crashes in 1981

Edinburgh had the most collisions of any town in the City of Edinburgh in 1981: 2,283.

Postcode districts in the City of Edinburgh: crashes in 1981

EH4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the City of Edinburgh in 1981: 248.

Latest crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in the City of Edinburgh in 1981, 3 were fatal and 10 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

City of Edinburgh road accidents in other years