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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,288 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 1985, and 1,823 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 33 were fatal and 364 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1984 (1,314), and casualties fell from 1,898.

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

Collisions in 1985
1,288
Down 2% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
1,823
Down 4% on 1984
Fatal collisions
33
2.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
364
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 1985

2.6% of collisions in Dorset in 1985 were fatal and 28% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal332.6%
  • Serious36428%
  • Slight89169%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal341.9%
  • Serious42623%
  • Slight1,36375%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 1985 is highlighted, with 1,288, down 2% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday181 (14%)
  • Tuesday161 (13%)
  • Wednesday186 (14%)
  • Thursday201 (16%)
  • Friday217 (17%)
  • Saturday182 (14%)
  • Sunday160 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5957 (4.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5911 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59160 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59213 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59221 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59311 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59189 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59126 (9.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January68 (5.3%)
  • February56 (4.3%)
  • March103 (8%)
  • April93 (7.2%)
  • May142 (11%)
  • June119 (9.2%)
  • July141 (11%)
  • August137 (11%)
  • September105 (8.2%)
  • October104 (8.1%)
  • November112 (8.7%)
  • December108 (8.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight980 (76%)
  • Dark, no street lighting153 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights lit147 (11%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown6 (0.5%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,044 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds181 (14%)
  • Snowing, no high winds13 (1%)
  • Fog or mist9 (0.7%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (0.6%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other28 (2.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry868 (67%)
  • Wet or damp372 (29%)
  • Frost or ice32 (2.5%)
  • Snow12 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph2 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph513 (40%)
  • 40 mph109 (8.5%)
  • 50 mph16 (1.2%)
  • 60 mph583 (45%)
  • 70 mph64 (5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,151 (89%)
  • Roundabout52 (4%)
  • One way street or slip road48 (3.7%)
  • Dual carriageway36 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant926 (51%)
  • Motorcyclist409 (22%)
  • Pedestrian198 (11%)
  • Cyclist130 (7.1%)
  • Van occupant57 (3.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant39 (2.1%)
  • Minibus occupant26 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)22 (1.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant12 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 537 (2%)
  • 6 to 1069 (3.8%)
  • 11 to 15125 (6.9%)
  • 16 to 20468 (26%)
  • 21 to 25262 (14%)
  • 26 to 35259 (14%)
  • 36 to 45189 (10%)
  • 46 to 55141 (7.7%)
  • 56 to 65120 (6.6%)
  • 66 to 75104 (5.7%)
  • Over 7549 (2.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,094 (60%)
  • Passenger531 (29%)
  • Pedestrian198 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,482 (63%)
  • Motorcycle405 (17%)
  • Pedal cycle133 (5.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes127 (5.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes95 (4.1%)
  • Other vehicle38 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach33 (1.4%)
  • Minibus16 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car12 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 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 1985

Of the 350 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 39th most road collisions in 1985.

Collisions
39th
highest of 350 areas
Casualties
28th
highest of 350 areas
Fatal collisions
18th
highest of 350 areas
Serious collisions
25th
highest of 350 areas

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 1985

The A354 had the most collisions in Dorset in 1985: 153, including 6 fatal and 28 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA354153202628
2ndA3596155130
3rdA3179104224
4thB31575369012
5thA350437318
6thA3514259213
7thB30814060310
8thA3523863014
9thA30303916
10thB3072263016
11thA353254918
12thA37232907
13thB3073202815
14thA357182704
15thB3082182709
16thA347171906
17thA3481624110
18thA3066152105
19thB3092152307
20thB3078141904

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 1985

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 1985: 165.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 1985

DT2 and DT4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 1985, with 147 each.

Former districts in Dorset in 1985

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 1985: 358.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 1985, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years