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CrashStats

Cornwall road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 2,045 road traffic collisions in Cornwall in 1981, and 2,855 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 42 were fatal and 669 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1980 (1,999), and casualties fell from 2,865.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 78,835 collisions in Cornwall.

Collisions in 1981
2,045
Up 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
2,855
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
42
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
669
33% of collisions

Crash severity in Cornwall in 1981

2.1% of collisions in Cornwall in 1981 were fatal and 33% serious, against 1.9% and 19% in Cornwall from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal422.1%
  • Serious66933%
  • Slight1,33465%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal441.5%
  • Serious85830%
  • Slight1,95368%

Cornwall road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Cornwall, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,120 in 2001. 1981 is highlighted, with 2,045, up 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20259201,194
20249411,236
20231,0001,379
20221,0121,420
20219781,444
20208621,218
20191,1311,616
20181,1751,690
20171,1481,678
20161,2031,783
20151,2281,722
20141,3091,907
20131,2841,804
20121,3011,830
20111,3772,026
20101,4132,091
20091,4992,160
20081,5772,264
20071,9032,648
20061,9282,688
20052,0782,897
20042,0012,737
20032,0582,844
20022,0222,726
20012,1202,847
20001,9642,646
19992,0142,739
19981,9722,709
19972,0352,811
19962,0202,808
19951,8152,476
19941,9982,777
19931,9662,604
19921,7702,443
19911,8382,481
19902,1112,822
19892,0962,814
19881,9762,664
19871,8662,535
19861,9382,648
19851,9482,600
19842,0162,646
19831,8632,497
19822,0492,856
19812,0452,855
19801,9992,865
19792,0682,953

When and where crashes happen in Cornwall in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday263 (13%)
  • Tuesday250 (12%)
  • Wednesday282 (14%)
  • Thursday311 (15%)
  • Friday322 (16%)
  • Saturday355 (17%)
  • Sunday262 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59126 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5920 (1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59185 (9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59284 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59379 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59498 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59311 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59242 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January147 (7.2%)
  • February129 (6.3%)
  • March137 (6.7%)
  • April146 (7.1%)
  • May161 (7.9%)
  • June185 (9%)
  • July254 (12%)
  • August219 (11%)
  • September187 (9.1%)
  • October170 (8.3%)
  • November151 (7.4%)
  • December159 (7.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,491 (73%)
  • Dark, no street lighting327 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit208 (10%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown16 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,493 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds345 (17%)
  • Fog or mist78 (3.8%)
  • Raining with high winds54 (2.6%)
  • Fine with high winds39 (1.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds5 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds3 (0.1%)
  • Other21 (1%)
  • Not recorded7 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,195 (58%)
  • Wet or damp827 (40%)
  • Frost or ice16 (0.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.2%)
  • Snow3 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (under 0.1%)
  • 30 mph864 (42%)
  • 40 mph142 (6.9%)
  • 50 mph6 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph1,004 (49%)
  • 70 mph27 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,905 (93%)
  • One way street or slip road50 (2.4%)
  • Roundabout47 (2.3%)
  • Dual carriageway42 (2.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Cornwall in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,438 (50%)
  • Motorcyclist743 (26%)
  • Pedestrian339 (12%)
  • Cyclist140 (4.9%)
  • Van occupant122 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)29 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant18 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant15 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant11 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 559 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 10124 (4.3%)
  • 11 to 15174 (6.1%)
  • 16 to 20909 (32%)
  • 21 to 25398 (14%)
  • 26 to 35398 (14%)
  • 36 to 45249 (8.7%)
  • 46 to 55197 (6.9%)
  • 56 to 65160 (5.6%)
  • 66 to 75119 (4.2%)
  • Over 7568 (2.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,628 (57%)
  • Passenger888 (31%)
  • Pedestrian339 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,144 (62%)
  • Motorcycle724 (21%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes221 (6.4%)
  • Pedal cycle148 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes113 (3.3%)
  • Bus or coach42 (1.2%)
  • Other vehicle35 (1%)
  • Minibus13 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Cornwall in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Cornwall

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Cornwall ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Cornwall had the 10th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
10th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
9th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
13th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
6th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Cornwall with the most crashes in 1981

The A30 had the most collisions in Cornwall in 1981: 158, including 6 fatal and 43 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Cornwall, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA30158227643
2ndA39156239846
3rdA390129193439
4thA3947198021
5thA3862101325
6thA30474452114
7thA3923948115
8thA388364909
9thA3932744114
10thA30582642212
11thA3075253919
12thA389253118
13thB32542133011
14thB3297213407
15thA3083203417
16thB33062028010
17thA3082182605
18thB3276162708
19thA3074152306
20thA3059142107

Towns in Cornwall: crashes in 1981

Truro had the most collisions of any town in Cornwall in 1981: 93.

Postcode districts in Cornwall: crashes in 1981

PL14 and TR1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Cornwall in 1981, with 103 each.

Latest crashes in Cornwall in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Cornwall in 1981, 1 was fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Cornwall road accidents in other years