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CrashStats

Dorset road accidents in 1998: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,456 road traffic collisions in Dorset in 1998, and 2,152 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 23 were fatal and 227 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1997 (1,479), and casualties fell from 2,170.

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

Collisions in 1998
1,456
Down 2% on 1997
Casualties in 1998
2,152
Down 1% on 1997
Fatal collisions
23
1.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
227
16% of collisions

Crash severity in Dorset in 1998

1.6% of collisions in Dorset in 1998 were fatal and 16% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal231.6%
  • Serious22716%
  • Slight1,20683%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal231.1%
  • Serious29013%
  • Slight1,83985%

Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,479 in 1997. 1998 is highlighted, with 1,456, down 2% on 1997.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1998
  • 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 1998

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday224 (15%)
  • Tuesday211 (14%)
  • Wednesday223 (15%)
  • Thursday198 (14%)
  • Friday219 (15%)
  • Saturday202 (14%)
  • Sunday179 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5954 (3.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (0.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59180 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59244 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59270 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59360 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59227 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59113 (7.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January99 (6.8%)
  • February94 (6.5%)
  • March118 (8.1%)
  • April123 (8.4%)
  • May123 (8.4%)
  • June138 (9.5%)
  • July123 (8.4%)
  • August155 (11%)
  • September131 (9%)
  • October113 (7.8%)
  • November109 (7.5%)
  • December130 (8.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,111 (76%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit193 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit145 (10%)
  • Dark, no street lighting5 (0.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,108 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds249 (17%)
  • Fog or mist34 (2.3%)
  • Fine with high winds19 (1.3%)
  • Raining with high winds13 (0.9%)
  • Other29 (2%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry874 (60%)
  • Wet or damp558 (38%)
  • Frost or ice22 (1.5%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph7 (0.5%)
  • 30 mph569 (39%)
  • 40 mph117 (8%)
  • 50 mph62 (4.3%)
  • 60 mph642 (44%)
  • 70 mph59 (4.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,267 (87%)
  • Roundabout94 (6.5%)
  • Dual carriageway64 (4.4%)
  • One way street or slip road24 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded7 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Dorset in 1998

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,554 (72%)
  • Motorcyclist175 (8.1%)
  • Pedestrian153 (7.1%)
  • Cyclist124 (5.8%)
  • Van occupant73 (3.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)24 (1.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant17 (0.8%)
  • Minibus occupant14 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant14 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 545 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1079 (3.7%)
  • 11 to 1599 (4.6%)
  • 16 to 20346 (16%)
  • 21 to 25256 (12%)
  • 26 to 35425 (20%)
  • 36 to 45310 (14%)
  • 46 to 55241 (11%)
  • 56 to 65157 (7.3%)
  • 66 to 75113 (5.3%)
  • Over 7580 (3.7%)
  • Not recorded1 (under 0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,390 (65%)
  • Passenger609 (28%)
  • Pedestrian153 (7.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,107 (76%)
  • Motorcycle186 (6.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes157 (5.7%)
  • Pedal cycle127 (4.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes100 (3.6%)
  • Bus or coach36 (1.3%)
  • Other vehicle32 (1.2%)
  • Minibus16 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Dorset in 1998

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1998 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 1998

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Dorset had the 25th most road collisions in 1998.

Collisions
25th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
19th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
19th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
21st
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Dorset with the most crashes in 1998

The A35 had the most collisions in Dorset in 1998: 144, including 4 fatal and 33 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Dorset, 1998
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA35144240433
2ndA35411519058
3rdA3186143116
4thA350497006
5thA3524666014
6thB31574586112
7thB3081377208
8thA30345425
9thA353283403
10thB3073283412
11thA351264004
12thA347232913
13thB3162222502
14thA3066192300
15thA37192703
16thB3082193004
17thA348182104
18thB3078183303
19thA357163004
20thB3143152614

Towns in Dorset: crashes in 1998

Weymouth had the most collisions of any town in Dorset in 1998: 158.

Postcode districts in Dorset: crashes in 1998

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Dorset in 1998: 192.

Former districts in Dorset in 1998

Dorset now covers 5 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, West Dorset had the most collisions in 1998: 467.

Latest crashes in Dorset in 1998

Of the last 24 crashes in Dorset in 1998, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1998.

Severity

Dorset road accidents in other years