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CrashStats

East Dorset road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 323 road traffic collisions in East Dorset in 1979, and 467 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 125 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 12,512 collisions in East Dorset.

District council until April 2019, now part of Dorset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1979
323
Casualties in 1979
467
Fatal collisions
5
1.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
125
39% of collisions

Crash severity in East Dorset in 1979

1.5% of collisions in East Dorset in 1979 were fatal and 39% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in East Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal51.5%
  • Serious12539%
  • Slight19360%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.7%
  • Serious14731%
  • Slight31267%

East Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in East Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 374 in 1988. 1979 is highlighted, with 323.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025160209
2024150195
2023163220
2022182240
2021150199
2020147207
2019144208
2018139197
2017188268
2016185291
2015189272
2014214308
2013194298
2012209297
2011193290
2010219328
2009223317
2008263391
2007254368
2006289413
2005298421
2004305454
2003325468
2002348487
2001364554
2000330477
1999331464
1998359529
1997356498
1996316472
1995312493
1994301455
1993289426
1992297444
1991272410
1990351532
1989323472
1988374552
1987341498
1986327471
1985340484
1984361522
1983278394
1982298424
1981276416
1980262332
1979323467

When and where crashes happen in East Dorset in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday49 (15%)
  • Tuesday48 (15%)
  • Wednesday50 (15%)
  • Thursday59 (18%)
  • Friday46 (14%)
  • Saturday37 (11%)
  • Sunday34 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:596 (1.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5948 (15%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5941 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5961 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5983 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5938 (12%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5943 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January24 (7.4%)
  • February13 (4%)
  • March19 (5.9%)
  • April24 (7.4%)
  • May30 (9.3%)
  • June26 (8%)
  • July30 (9.3%)
  • August31 (9.6%)
  • September35 (11%)
  • October31 (9.6%)
  • November24 (7.4%)
  • December36 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight249 (77%)
  • Dark, street lights lit41 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting30 (9.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds255 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds44 (14%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.9%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Other18 (5.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry209 (65%)
  • Wet or damp93 (29%)
  • Frost or ice19 (5.9%)
  • Snow2 (0.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph104 (32%)
  • 40 mph55 (17%)
  • 60 mph144 (45%)
  • 70 mph20 (6.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway287 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway19 (5.9%)
  • One way street or slip road13 (4%)
  • Roundabout4 (1.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in East Dorset in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant260 (56%)
  • Motorcyclist96 (21%)
  • Pedestrian41 (8.8%)
  • Cyclist37 (7.9%)
  • Van occupant19 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant3 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 56 (1.3%)
  • 6 to 1027 (5.8%)
  • 11 to 1531 (6.6%)
  • 16 to 20126 (27%)
  • 21 to 2547 (10%)
  • 26 to 3567 (14%)
  • 36 to 4537 (7.9%)
  • 46 to 5536 (7.7%)
  • 56 to 6544 (9.4%)
  • 66 to 7530 (6.4%)
  • Over 7516 (3.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider281 (60%)
  • Passenger145 (31%)
  • Pedestrian41 (8.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car357 (62%)
  • Motorcycle98 (17%)
  • Pedal cycle41 (7.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes37 (6.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes32 (5.5%)
  • Bus or coach6 (1%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.9%)
  • Minibus2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for East Dorset in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in East Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in East Dorset with the most crashes in 1979

The A31 had the most collisions in East Dorset in 1979: 91, including 3 fatal and 33 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in East Dorset, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3191140333
2ndA347254019
3rdB30722122010
4thA348141505
5thB3081132003
6thB3078121704
7thA350111705
8thA3499905
9thB307381604
10thB308281103
11thA3546903
12thA3385601
13thB30742200
14thA30781100

Towns in East Dorset: crashes in 1979

Ferndown had the most collisions of any town in East Dorset in 1979: 57.

Postcode districts in East Dorset: crashes in 1979

BH21 had the most collisions of any postcode district in East Dorset in 1979: 150.

Dorset and its former districts in 1979

Dorset recorded 1,418 collisions in 1979, and 23% of them were in the old East Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in East Dorset in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in East Dorset in 1979, 2 were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

East Dorset road accidents in other years