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CrashStats

Croydon road accidents in 1981: crash statistics

Police recorded 1,884 road traffic collisions in Croydon in 1981, and 2,251 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 24 were fatal and 325 were serious.

Collisions were down 1% on 1980 (1,911), and casualties fell from 2,379.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 62,402 collisions in Croydon.

Collisions in 1981
1,884
Down 1% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
2,251
Down 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
24
1.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
325
17% of collisions

Crash severity in Croydon in 1981

1.3% of collisions in Croydon in 1981 were fatal and 17% serious, against 0.8% and 15% in Croydon from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal241.3%
  • Serious32517%
  • Slight1,53581%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal241.1%
  • Serious34515%
  • Slight1,88284%

Croydon road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Croydon, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 2,097 in 1982. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,884, down 1% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20259371,067
20249331,047
20231,1031,258
20229221,093
20219651,106
20208921,085
20199551,129
20188911,049
20179351,153
20169001,102
20158961,047
20149781,114
20138891,092
20129521,140
20119661,231
20109161,122
20099051,142
20089331,129
20079331,145
20069871,213
20051,1411,412
20041,1511,394
20031,1451,482
20021,2301,573
20011,2931,667
20001,4161,859
19991,5591,922
19981,4931,860
19971,5431,947
19961,5281,866
19951,4801,852
19941,5621,865
19931,4621,751
19921,4181,724
19911,5611,882
19901,6732,003
19891,8782,280
19881,7572,080
19871,7672,119
19861,8312,193
19851,8102,248
19842,0282,492
19831,9642,407
19822,0972,566
19811,8842,251
19801,9112,379
19792,0322,508

When and where crashes happen in Croydon in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday261 (14%)
  • Tuesday276 (15%)
  • Wednesday279 (15%)
  • Thursday268 (14%)
  • Friday316 (17%)
  • Saturday280 (15%)
  • Sunday204 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5976 (4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5927 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59238 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59226 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59312 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59456 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59285 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59264 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January152 (8.1%)
  • February115 (6.1%)
  • March171 (9.1%)
  • April152 (8.1%)
  • May150 (8%)
  • June152 (8.1%)
  • July139 (7.4%)
  • August153 (8.1%)
  • September197 (10%)
  • October187 (9.9%)
  • November185 (9.8%)
  • December131 (7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,261 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit611 (32%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.3%)
  • Dark, no street lighting5 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Raining, no high winds361 (19%)
  • Snowing, no high winds16 (0.8%)
  • Fog or mist5 (0.3%)
  • Other1,501 (80%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,281 (68%)
  • Wet or damp564 (30%)
  • Snow37 (2%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph1,813 (96%)
  • 40 mph64 (3.4%)
  • 60 mph4 (0.2%)
  • 70 mph2 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway358 (19%)
  • Dual carriageway74 (3.9%)
  • Roundabout62 (3.3%)
  • One way street or slip road39 (2.1%)
  • Not recorded1,351 (72%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Croydon in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant935 (42%)
  • Motorcyclist497 (22%)
  • Pedestrian487 (22%)
  • Cyclist159 (7.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant101 (4.5%)
  • Van occupant55 (2.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant7 (0.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)6 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 532 (1.4%)
  • 6 to 10110 (4.9%)
  • 11 to 15165 (7.3%)
  • 16 to 20575 (26%)
  • 21 to 25295 (13%)
  • 26 to 35304 (14%)
  • 36 to 45178 (7.9%)
  • 46 to 55148 (6.6%)
  • 56 to 65112 (5%)
  • 66 to 75103 (4.6%)
  • Over 7561 (2.7%)
  • Not recorded168 (7.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,238 (55%)
  • Passenger526 (23%)
  • Pedestrian487 (22%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,125 (65%)
  • Motorcycle529 (16%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes172 (5.3%)
  • Pedal cycle167 (5.1%)
  • Bus or coach145 (4.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes61 (1.9%)
  • Other vehicle36 (1.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car13 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

How Croydon ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Croydon had the 16th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
16th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
17th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
46th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
35th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Croydon with the most crashes in 1981

The A23 had the most collisions in Croydon in 1981: 256, including 4 fatal and 42 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Croydon, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA23256308442
2ndA235231262334
3rdA212154178130
4thA232105125018
5thA21594125226
6thA222769016
7thA20226373113
8thB2664653010
9thA213455008
10thA236435405
11thA22354006
12thB275343913
13thB269323915
14thB273293502
15thB2030263206
16thB243202402
17thA237162002
18thA214131802
19thB2032111604
20thB27691002

Latest crashes in Croydon in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Croydon in 1981, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Croydon road accidents in other years