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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,458 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 1985, and 2,069 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 48 were fatal and 397 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1984 (1,433), and casualties rose from 1,987.

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

Collisions in 1985
1,458
Up 2% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
2,069
Up 4% on 1984
Fatal collisions
48
3.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
397
27% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 1985

3.3% of collisions in County Durham in 1985 were fatal and 27% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal483.3%
  • Serious39727%
  • Slight1,01369%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal512.5%
  • Serious48523%
  • Slight1,53374%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 1985 is highlighted, with 1,458, up 2% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday201 (14%)
  • Tuesday206 (14%)
  • Wednesday175 (12%)
  • Thursday199 (14%)
  • Friday270 (19%)
  • Saturday226 (16%)
  • Sunday181 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5972 (4.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5920 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59139 (9.5%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59196 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59226 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59370 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59241 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59194 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January100 (6.9%)
  • February92 (6.3%)
  • March106 (7.3%)
  • April117 (8%)
  • May132 (9.1%)
  • June114 (7.8%)
  • July134 (9.2%)
  • August119 (8.2%)
  • September123 (8.4%)
  • October127 (8.7%)
  • November163 (11%)
  • December131 (9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight995 (68%)
  • Dark, street lights lit319 (22%)
  • Dark, no street lighting126 (8.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown14 (1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,142 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds192 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds47 (3.2%)
  • Snowing, no high winds32 (2.2%)
  • Fog or mist15 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds12 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.3%)
  • Other9 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded5 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry828 (57%)
  • Wet or damp527 (36%)
  • Frost or ice70 (4.8%)
  • Snow28 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep5 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph5 (0.3%)
  • 30 mph902 (62%)
  • 40 mph62 (4.3%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.1%)
  • 60 mph369 (25%)
  • 70 mph118 (8.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,295 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway119 (8.2%)
  • Roundabout37 (2.5%)
  • One way street or slip road6 (0.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,065 (51%)
  • Pedestrian404 (20%)
  • Motorcyclist266 (13%)
  • Bus or coach occupant112 (5.4%)
  • Cyclist84 (4.1%)
  • Van occupant76 (3.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)23 (1.1%)
  • Minibus occupant19 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle occupant16 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 573 (3.5%)
  • 6 to 10114 (5.5%)
  • 11 to 15167 (8.1%)
  • 16 to 20488 (24%)
  • 21 to 25346 (17%)
  • 26 to 35295 (14%)
  • 36 to 45167 (8.1%)
  • 46 to 55160 (7.7%)
  • 56 to 65121 (5.8%)
  • 66 to 7588 (4.3%)
  • Over 7550 (2.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,002 (48%)
  • Passenger663 (32%)
  • Pedestrian404 (20%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,575 (69%)
  • Motorcycle262 (11%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes156 (6.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes92 (4%)
  • Pedal cycle84 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach78 (3.4%)
  • Other vehicle33 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (0.4%)
  • Minibus9 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 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 350 areas in 1985

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 28th most road collisions in 1985.

Collisions
28th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
19th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
8th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
15th
highest of 350 areas

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 1985

The A689 had the most collisions in County Durham in 1985: 62, including 3 fatal and 16 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6896287316
2ndA16759102513
3rdA6905876110
4thA6934365316
5thA1(M)3810444
6thA688375737
7thA177334926
8thA19324518
9thA181283816
10thA691283929
11thA68254318
12thA1086243215
13thB6532223017
14thB1283213015
15thA6922034010
16thB1285192718
17thB12801823010
18thB1278162815
19thB6302162006
20thB1320142208

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 1985

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 1985: 90.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 1985

DH7 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 1985: 132.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 1985, 3 were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years