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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,418 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 1979, and 2,020 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 25 were fatal and 481 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 51,591 collisions in Dorset.

Collisions in 1979
1,418
Casualties in 1979
2,020
Fatal collisions
25
1.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
481
34% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 1979

1.8% of collisions in Dorset in 1979 were fatal and 34% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal251.8%
  • Serious48134%
  • Slight91264%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal291.4%
  • Serious61831%
  • Slight1,37368%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 1979 is highlighted, with 1,418.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025675893
2024686883
2023662870
2022712962
2021621812
2020563777
2019635912
2018638898
20177401,055
20167751,209
20158611,211
20148151,161
20137991,145
20128431,201
20118521,208
20109161,286
20091,0151,446
20081,1001,616
20071,1171,612
20061,1861,713
20051,2181,760
20041,2821,878
20031,3081,905
20021,4212,082
20011,4622,163
20001,4202,126
19991,3741,990
19981,4562,152
19971,4792,170
19961,3842,108
19951,2171,979
19941,2661,937
19931,2311,828
19921,2721,942
19911,1711,752
19901,2851,941
19891,2801,862
19881,3361,948
19871,2861,815
19861,3141,880
19851,2881,823
19841,3141,898
19831,1461,574
19821,2461,759
19811,2211,780
19801,2851,744
19791,4182,020

When and where crashes happen in Dorset in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday175 (12%)
  • Tuesday186 (13%)
  • Wednesday194 (14%)
  • Thursday244 (17%)
  • Friday246 (17%)
  • Saturday191 (13%)
  • Sunday182 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5975 (5.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5915 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59162 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59198 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59256 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59358 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59168 (12%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59186 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January119 (8.4%)
  • February55 (3.9%)
  • March89 (6.3%)
  • April106 (7.5%)
  • May120 (8.5%)
  • June112 (7.9%)
  • July132 (9.3%)
  • August168 (12%)
  • September146 (10%)
  • October113 (8%)
  • November116 (8.2%)
  • December142 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,020 (72%)
  • Dark, no street lighting198 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit182 (13%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown12 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,089 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds185 (13%)
  • Fog or mist25 (1.8%)
  • Fine with high winds21 (1.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds19 (1.3%)
  • Raining with high winds12 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.3%)
  • Other60 (4.2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry881 (62%)
  • Wet or damp411 (29%)
  • Frost or ice105 (7.4%)
  • Snow19 (1.3%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph630 (44%)
  • 40 mph101 (7.1%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 60 mph640 (45%)
  • 70 mph46 (3.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,283 (90%)
  • One way street or slip road56 (3.9%)
  • Dual carriageway50 (3.5%)
  • Roundabout23 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,074 (53%)
  • Motorcyclist481 (24%)
  • Pedestrian221 (11%)
  • Cyclist110 (5.4%)
  • Van occupant79 (3.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)25 (1.2%)
  • Minibus occupant13 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant10 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant5 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 534 (1.7%)
  • 6 to 1096 (4.8%)
  • 11 to 15131 (6.5%)
  • 16 to 20584 (29%)
  • 21 to 25223 (11%)
  • 26 to 35276 (14%)
  • 36 to 45173 (8.6%)
  • 46 to 55157 (7.8%)
  • 56 to 65172 (8.5%)
  • 66 to 75120 (5.9%)
  • Over 7554 (2.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,175 (58%)
  • Passenger624 (31%)
  • Pedestrian221 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,513 (62%)
  • Motorcycle471 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes142 (5.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes125 (5.1%)
  • Pedal cycle118 (4.8%)
  • Bus or coach34 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle20 (0.8%)
  • Minibus19 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Dorset ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 34th most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
34th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
26th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
48th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
12th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 1979

The A354 had the most collisions in Dorset in 1979: 175, including 2 fatal and 52 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA354175225252
2ndA35129190241
3rdA31101168434
4thB31575777121
5thA3514973016
6thA3504861113
7thA3524487221
8thA303450015
9thA347254019
10thA37244328
11thA353232808
12thB3081233106
13thB30722122010
14thA357151806
15thA348141505
16thB3078121704
17thB3082121804
18thB3092121807
19thB3143101505
20thA30391505

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 1979

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 1979: 233.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 1979

DT4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 1979: 197.

Former districts in Dorset in 1979

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 1979: 390.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 1979, none were fatal and 10 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years