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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,479 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 1997, and 2,170 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 28 were fatal and 209 were serious.

Collisions were up 7% on 1996 (1,384), and casualties rose from 2,108.

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

Collisions in 1997
1,479
Up 7% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
2,170
Up 3% on 1996
Fatal collisions
28
1.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
209
14% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 1997

1.9% of collisions in Dorset in 1997 were fatal and 14% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal281.9%
  • Serious20914%
  • Slight1,24284%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal311.4%
  • Serious25412%
  • Slight1,88587%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 1997 is highlighted, with 1,479, up 7% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday215 (15%)
  • Tuesday210 (14%)
  • Wednesday218 (15%)
  • Thursday192 (13%)
  • Friday239 (16%)
  • Saturday234 (16%)
  • Sunday171 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5946 (3.1%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5920 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59160 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59268 (18%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59309 (21%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59341 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59216 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59119 (8%)

Collisions by month

  • January137 (9.3%)
  • February116 (7.8%)
  • March112 (7.6%)
  • April106 (7.2%)
  • May121 (8.2%)
  • June103 (7%)
  • July125 (8.5%)
  • August141 (9.5%)
  • September110 (7.4%)
  • October131 (8.9%)
  • November128 (8.7%)
  • December149 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,127 (76%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit189 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit152 (10%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (0.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,134 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds241 (16%)
  • Fog or mist46 (3.1%)
  • Fine with high winds10 (0.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds10 (0.7%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (0.6%)
  • Other23 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry901 (61%)
  • Wet or damp539 (36%)
  • Frost or ice31 (2.1%)
  • Snow6 (0.4%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph13 (0.9%)
  • 30 mph619 (42%)
  • 40 mph100 (6.8%)
  • 50 mph55 (3.7%)
  • 60 mph653 (44%)
  • 70 mph39 (2.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,298 (88%)
  • Roundabout102 (6.9%)
  • Dual carriageway47 (3.2%)
  • One way street or slip road17 (1.1%)
  • Not recorded15 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,513 (70%)
  • Pedestrian184 (8.5%)
  • Motorcyclist178 (8.2%)
  • Cyclist128 (5.9%)
  • Van occupant68 (3.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant33 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)30 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant18 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant10 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant8 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 542 (1.9%)
  • 6 to 1080 (3.7%)
  • 11 to 15110 (5.1%)
  • 16 to 20342 (16%)
  • 21 to 25282 (13%)
  • 26 to 35427 (20%)
  • 36 to 45290 (13%)
  • 46 to 55219 (10%)
  • 56 to 65149 (6.9%)
  • 66 to 75116 (5.3%)
  • Over 75113 (5.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,347 (62%)
  • Passenger639 (29%)
  • Pedestrian184 (8.5%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,103 (77%)
  • Motorcycle174 (6.3%)
  • Pedal cycle136 (4.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes133 (4.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes115 (4.2%)
  • Other vehicle36 (1.3%)
  • Bus or coach25 (0.9%)
  • Minibus14 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car12 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 1997

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

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 24th most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
24th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
20th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
12th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
32nd
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 1997

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 1997: 142, including 3 fatal and 10 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35142231310
2ndA354128187424
3rdA3180114312
4thA350619927
5thB30815083012
6thA352447807
7thA351384906
8thA30375943
9thB3157364614
10thA353313802
11thA3066274605
12thB3072274406
13thB3073273412
14thB3162233205
15thA357213614
16thB3082213104
17thA347202503
18thA348202602
19thB3078193114
20thA37172505

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 1997

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 1997: 141.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 1997

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 1997: 170.

Former districts in Dorset in 1997

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 1997: 440.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 1997, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years