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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,532 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 1981, and 2,115 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 51 were fatal and 399 were serious.

Collisions were down 6% on 1980 (1,627), and casualties fell from 2,230.

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

Collisions in 1981
1,532
Down 6% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
2,115
Down 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
51
3.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
399
26% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 1981

3.3% of collisions in County Durham in 1981 were fatal and 26% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal513.3%
  • Serious39926%
  • Slight1,08271%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal522.5%
  • Serious49223%
  • Slight1,57174%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,532, down 6% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday190 (12%)
  • Tuesday202 (13%)
  • Wednesday191 (12%)
  • Thursday240 (16%)
  • Friday286 (19%)
  • Saturday246 (16%)
  • Sunday177 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5960 (3.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5923 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59165 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59161 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59236 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59393 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59266 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59228 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January137 (8.9%)
  • February85 (5.5%)
  • March144 (9.4%)
  • April123 (8%)
  • May115 (7.5%)
  • June123 (8%)
  • July127 (8.3%)
  • August122 (8%)
  • September137 (8.9%)
  • October151 (9.9%)
  • November140 (9.1%)
  • December128 (8.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,016 (66%)
  • Dark, street lights lit383 (25%)
  • Dark, no street lighting125 (8.2%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,217 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds179 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds51 (3.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds36 (2.3%)
  • Fog or mist14 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds13 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds11 (0.7%)
  • Other10 (0.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry873 (57%)
  • Wet or damp499 (33%)
  • Frost or ice100 (6.5%)
  • Snow57 (3.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep3 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 15 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph934 (61%)
  • 40 mph66 (4.3%)
  • 50 mph6 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph412 (27%)
  • 70 mph112 (7.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,371 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway114 (7.4%)
  • Roundabout36 (2.3%)
  • One way street or slip road8 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,051 (50%)
  • Pedestrian396 (19%)
  • Motorcyclist389 (18%)
  • Cyclist108 (5.1%)
  • Van occupant67 (3.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant44 (2.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)29 (1.4%)
  • Minibus occupant17 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant8 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 579 (3.7%)
  • 6 to 10140 (6.6%)
  • 11 to 15164 (7.8%)
  • 16 to 20586 (28%)
  • 21 to 25308 (15%)
  • 26 to 35307 (15%)
  • 36 to 45181 (8.6%)
  • 46 to 55145 (6.9%)
  • 56 to 65105 (5%)
  • 66 to 7568 (3.2%)
  • Over 7532 (1.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,097 (52%)
  • Passenger622 (29%)
  • Pedestrian396 (19%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,562 (65%)
  • Motorcycle358 (15%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes140 (5.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes111 (4.6%)
  • Pedal cycle111 (4.6%)
  • Bus or coach87 (3.6%)
  • Other vehicle17 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car11 (0.5%)
  • Minibus10 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in County Durham

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How County Durham ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 27th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
27th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
21st
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
9th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
20th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 1981

The A167 had the most collisions in County Durham in 1981: 72, including 4 fatal and 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1677297420
2ndA6895990512
3rdA6905887115
4thA6885682314
5thA6933642110
6thA177354339
7thA193148113
8thA691305336
9thA1086293323
10thA692294236
11thA1(M)273414
12thA68264028
13thB6532232407
14thA181213316
15thB1285212413
16thB1283182603
17thA6072162103
18thA6127162303
19thA66163517
20thB1278152208

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 1981

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 1981: 101.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 1981

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 1981: 154.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 1981, 1 was fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years