Skip to main content
CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 1983: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,146 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 1983, and 1,574 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 36 were fatal and 344 were serious.

Collisions were down 8% on 1982 (1,246), and casualties fell from 1,759.

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

Collisions in 1983
1,146
Down 8% on 1982
Casualties in 1983
1,574
Down 11% on 1982
Fatal collisions
36
3.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
344
30% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 1983

3.1% of collisions in Dorset in 1983 were fatal and 30% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal363.1%
  • Serious34430%
  • Slight76667%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal402.5%
  • Serious42427%
  • Slight1,11071%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 1983 is highlighted, with 1,146, down 8% on 1982.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1983
  • 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 1983

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday171 (15%)
  • Tuesday131 (11%)
  • Wednesday152 (13%)
  • Thursday180 (16%)
  • Friday182 (16%)
  • Saturday175 (15%)
  • Sunday155 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5945 (3.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (0.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59150 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59181 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59206 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59281 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59142 (12%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59132 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January69 (6%)
  • February59 (5.1%)
  • March84 (7.3%)
  • April100 (8.7%)
  • May103 (9%)
  • June119 (10%)
  • July135 (12%)
  • August128 (11%)
  • September96 (8.4%)
  • October104 (9.1%)
  • November72 (6.3%)
  • December77 (6.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight878 (77%)
  • Dark, no street lighting139 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit122 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown7 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds915 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds164 (14%)
  • Fog or mist23 (2%)
  • Fine with high winds10 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (0.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other23 (2%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry781 (68%)
  • Wet or damp337 (29%)
  • Frost or ice22 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.3%)
  • Snow2 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph485 (42%)
  • 40 mph84 (7.3%)
  • 50 mph9 (0.8%)
  • 60 mph519 (45%)
  • 70 mph49 (4.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,032 (90%)
  • Dual carriageway41 (3.6%)
  • One way street or slip road39 (3.4%)
  • Roundabout34 (3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 1983

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant784 (50%)
  • Motorcyclist395 (25%)
  • Pedestrian181 (11%)
  • Cyclist137 (8.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)29 (1.8%)
  • Van occupant25 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant11 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant5 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 531 (2%)
  • 6 to 1074 (4.7%)
  • 11 to 1594 (6%)
  • 16 to 20482 (31%)
  • 21 to 25228 (14%)
  • 26 to 35194 (12%)
  • 36 to 45150 (9.5%)
  • 46 to 5589 (5.7%)
  • 56 to 65111 (7.1%)
  • 66 to 7571 (4.5%)
  • Over 7550 (3.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider956 (61%)
  • Passenger437 (28%)
  • Pedestrian181 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,265 (61%)
  • Motorcycle394 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle142 (6.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes118 (5.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes94 (4.5%)
  • Other vehicle28 (1.3%)
  • Bus or coach26 (1.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car12 (0.6%)
  • Minibus8 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 1983

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1983 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 350 areas in 1983

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 53rd most road collisions in 1983.

Collisions
53rd
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
38th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
15th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
24th
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 1983

The A354 had the most collisions in Dorset in 1983: 140, including 4 fatal and 31 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 1983
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA354140173431
2ndA35107166622
3rdA315694116
4thA3524159217
5thA3513955213
6thA350384809
7thB31573849213
8thA30283729
9thB30812837211
10thB3072253117
11thA372240010
12thB3073222608
13thA353172117
14thB3082142013
15thA347132003
16thA338111813
17thA357111514
18thA3066101303
19thB3143101004
20thB307891404

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 1983

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 1983: 155.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 1983

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 1983: 153.

Former districts in Dorset in 1983

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 1983: 341.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 1983

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 1983, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1983.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years