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CrashStats

County Durham road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,661 road traffic collisions in County Durham in 1997, and 2,536 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 28 were fatal and 202 were serious.

Collisions were up 1% on 1996 (1,646), and casualties rose from 2,534.

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

Collisions in 1997
1,661
Up 1% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
2,536
Level with 1996
Fatal collisions
28
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
202
12% of collisions

Crash severity in County Durham in 1997

1.7% of collisions in County Durham in 1997 were fatal and 12% serious, against 2.3% and 18% in County Durham from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal281.7%
  • Serious20212%
  • Slight1,43186%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal311.2%
  • Serious2429.5%
  • Slight2,26389%

County Durham road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in County Durham, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,726 in 1990. 1997 is highlighted, with 1,661, up 1% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday234 (14%)
  • Tuesday236 (14%)
  • Wednesday230 (14%)
  • Thursday268 (16%)
  • Friday281 (17%)
  • Saturday222 (13%)
  • Sunday190 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5952 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5922 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59198 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59235 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59290 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59433 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59291 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59140 (8.4%)

Collisions by month

  • January129 (7.8%)
  • February131 (7.9%)
  • March131 (7.9%)
  • April104 (6.3%)
  • May128 (7.7%)
  • June147 (8.9%)
  • July153 (9.2%)
  • August129 (7.8%)
  • September148 (8.9%)
  • October155 (9.3%)
  • November150 (9%)
  • December156 (9.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,213 (73%)
  • Dark, street lights lit333 (20%)
  • Dark, no street lighting90 (5.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit13 (0.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown12 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,274 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds249 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds43 (2.6%)
  • Fog or mist33 (2%)
  • Raining with high winds26 (1.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds8 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.1%)
  • Other17 (1%)
  • Not recorded9 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry962 (58%)
  • Wet or damp661 (40%)
  • Frost or ice29 (1.7%)
  • Snow8 (0.5%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph912 (55%)
  • 40 mph88 (5.3%)
  • 50 mph9 (0.5%)
  • 60 mph504 (30%)
  • 70 mph148 (8.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,413 (85%)
  • Dual carriageway150 (9%)
  • Roundabout76 (4.6%)
  • One way street or slip road22 (1.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in County Durham in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,763 (70%)
  • Pedestrian346 (14%)
  • Cyclist108 (4.3%)
  • Van occupant107 (4.2%)
  • Bus or coach occupant90 (3.5%)
  • Motorcyclist74 (2.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)20 (0.8%)
  • Minibus occupant16 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant12 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 581 (3.2%)
  • 6 to 10167 (6.6%)
  • 11 to 15207 (8.2%)
  • 16 to 20441 (17%)
  • 21 to 25288 (11%)
  • 26 to 35554 (22%)
  • 36 to 45323 (13%)
  • 46 to 55218 (8.6%)
  • 56 to 65124 (4.9%)
  • 66 to 7587 (3.4%)
  • Over 7546 (1.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,387 (55%)
  • Passenger803 (32%)
  • Pedestrian346 (14%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,352 (79%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes213 (7.2%)
  • Pedal cycle108 (3.6%)
  • Bus or coach99 (3.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes93 (3.1%)
  • Motorcycle76 (2.6%)
  • Other vehicle14 (0.5%)
  • Minibus8 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (under 0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for County Durham in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 351 areas in 1997

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, County Durham had the 17th most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
17th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
14th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
12th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
36th
highest of 351 areas

Roads in County Durham with the most crashes in 1997

The A690 had the most collisions in County Durham in 1997: 79, including 1 fatal and 6 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in County Durham, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA6907911516
2ndA688629736
3rdA167619526
4thA6896011119
5thA1(M)5810623
6thA691518014
7thA19376122
8thA68335105
9thB1283223916
10thA177213502
11thB6282214101
12thB1285202514
13thA1086192505
14thA693192604
15thA692171904
16thA181162003
17thA67151802
18thB6302142003
19thB6313142210
20thB1320131300

Towns in County Durham: crashes in 1997

Durham had the most collisions of any town in County Durham in 1997: 127.

Postcode districts in County Durham: crashes in 1997

DH1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in County Durham in 1997: 196.

Latest crashes in County Durham in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in County Durham in 1997, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

County Durham road accidents in other years