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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,682 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 1979, and 2,248 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 49 were fatal and 381 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 59,228 collisions in County Durham.

Collisions in 1979
1,682
Casualties in 1979
2,248
Fatal collisions
49
2.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
381
23% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 1979

2.9% of collisions in County Durham in 1979 were fatal and 23% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal492.9%
  • Serious38123%
  • Slight1,25274%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal532.4%
  • Serious44820%
  • Slight1,74778%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 1979 is highlighted, with 1,682.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025438561
2024452584
2023464610
2022507685
2021509699
2020498674
2019684929
20187561,083
20178391,250
20168051,177
20158661,242
20141,0131,585
20139491,369
20121,0091,544
20111,1441,654
20101,1731,708
20091,3842,078
20081,2381,914
20071,2701,973
20061,3091,947
20051,4552,139
20041,4372,142
20031,5452,336
20021,5752,308
20011,5072,227
20001,5732,250
19991,4702,163
19981,6542,472
19971,6612,536
19961,6462,534
19951,6762,456
19941,4572,132
19931,5322,304
19921,6822,423
19911,6192,345
19901,7262,568
19891,6322,424
19881,4321,996
19871,4802,130
19861,5092,120
19851,4582,069
19841,4331,987
19831,4091,865
19821,5122,138
19811,5322,115
19801,6272,230
19791,6822,248

When and where crashes happen in County Durham in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday225 (13%)
  • Tuesday223 (13%)
  • Wednesday204 (12%)
  • Thursday239 (14%)
  • Friday326 (19%)
  • Saturday261 (16%)
  • Sunday204 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5964 (3.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5920 (1.2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59189 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59185 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59277 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59416 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59250 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59281 (17%)

Collisions by month

  • January143 (8.5%)
  • February134 (8%)
  • March169 (10%)
  • April122 (7.3%)
  • May137 (8.1%)
  • June119 (7.1%)
  • July135 (8%)
  • August142 (8.4%)
  • September153 (9.1%)
  • October134 (8%)
  • November150 (8.9%)
  • December144 (8.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,125 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit403 (24%)
  • Dark, no street lighting152 (9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,271 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds172 (10%)
  • Fine with high winds64 (3.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds57 (3.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds46 (2.7%)
  • Fog or mist34 (2%)
  • Raining with high winds22 (1.3%)
  • Other14 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry821 (49%)
  • Wet or damp564 (34%)
  • Frost or ice178 (11%)
  • Snow113 (6.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep6 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph6 (0.4%)
  • 30 mph1,014 (60%)
  • 40 mph66 (3.9%)
  • 50 mph6 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph459 (27%)
  • 70 mph131 (7.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,537 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway135 (8%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (0.3%)
  • Roundabout1 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,040 (46%)
  • Pedestrian512 (23%)
  • Motorcyclist373 (17%)
  • Van occupant111 (4.9%)
  • Cyclist89 (4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant57 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)44 (2%)
  • Minibus occupant9 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant5 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 572 (3.2%)
  • 6 to 10190 (8.5%)
  • 11 to 15150 (6.7%)
  • 16 to 20525 (23%)
  • 21 to 25300 (13%)
  • 26 to 35393 (17%)
  • 36 to 45201 (8.9%)
  • 46 to 55179 (8%)
  • 56 to 65145 (6.5%)
  • 66 to 7552 (2.3%)
  • Over 7541 (1.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,162 (52%)
  • Passenger574 (26%)
  • Pedestrian512 (23%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,649 (64%)
  • Motorcycle385 (15%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes182 (7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes140 (5.4%)
  • Bus or coach101 (3.9%)
  • Pedal cycle88 (3.4%)
  • Other vehicle30 (1.2%)
  • Minibus9 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in County Durham

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How County Durham ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 23rd most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
23rd
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
20th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
10th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
22nd
highest of 349 areas

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 1979

The A690 had the most collisions in County Durham in 1979: 74, including 18 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA69074109018
2ndA6887390513
3rdA68970106117
4thA1676098121
5thA194568212
6thA6934365012
7thA1774259511
8thA1(M)416135
9thA691395516
10thA692375006
11thA1086354118
12thB1283284119
13thA68264215
14thA181244414
15thA6127212203
16thB6532212807
17thA67182316
18thA66172005
19thB1278162104
20thB1404141602

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 1979

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 1979: 101.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 1979

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 1979: 154.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 1979, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years