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CrashStats

East Dorset road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 276 road traffic collisions in East Dorset in 1981, and 416 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 95 were serious.

Collisions were up 5% on 1980 (262), and casualties rose from 332.

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 1981
276
Up 5% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
416
Up 25% on 1980
Fatal collisions
8
2.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
95
34% of collisions

Crash severity in East Dorset in 1981

2.9% of collisions in East Dorset in 1981 were fatal and 34% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in East Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal82.9%
  • Serious9534%
  • Slight17363%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.9%
  • Serious13532%
  • Slight27366%

East Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in East Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 374 in 1988. 1981 is highlighted, with 276, up 5% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday50 (18%)
  • Tuesday37 (13%)
  • Wednesday36 (13%)
  • Thursday44 (16%)
  • Friday44 (16%)
  • Saturday35 (13%)
  • Sunday30 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:598 (2.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5938 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5937 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5948 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5972 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5936 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5934 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January14 (5.1%)
  • February20 (7.2%)
  • March27 (9.8%)
  • April23 (8.3%)
  • May24 (8.7%)
  • June24 (8.7%)
  • July27 (9.8%)
  • August17 (6.2%)
  • September34 (12%)
  • October18 (6.5%)
  • November22 (8%)
  • December26 (9.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight206 (75%)
  • Dark, street lights lit36 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting32 (12%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds212 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds52 (19%)
  • Fog or mist3 (1.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.7%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.4%)
  • Other4 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry174 (63%)
  • Wet or damp94 (34%)
  • Frost or ice4 (1.4%)
  • Snow4 (1.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph90 (33%)
  • 40 mph40 (14%)
  • 50 mph8 (2.9%)
  • 60 mph116 (42%)
  • 70 mph22 (8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway247 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway16 (5.8%)
  • Roundabout7 (2.5%)
  • One way street or slip road4 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in East Dorset in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant246 (59%)
  • Motorcyclist94 (23%)
  • Pedestrian30 (7.2%)
  • Cyclist24 (5.8%)
  • Van occupant10 (2.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)6 (1.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant3 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 511 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 1012 (2.9%)
  • 11 to 1525 (6%)
  • 16 to 20117 (28%)
  • 21 to 2540 (9.6%)
  • 26 to 3557 (14%)
  • 36 to 4542 (10%)
  • 46 to 5544 (11%)
  • 56 to 6531 (7.5%)
  • 66 to 7521 (5%)
  • Over 7516 (3.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider258 (62%)
  • Passenger128 (31%)
  • Pedestrian30 (7.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car327 (63%)
  • Motorcycle98 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes27 (5.2%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (4.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes20 (3.9%)
  • Bus or coach10 (1.9%)
  • Minibus4 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle4 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for East Dorset in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in East Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in East Dorset with the most crashes in 1981

The A31 had the most collisions in East Dorset in 1981: 60, including 3 fatal and 15 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in East Dorset, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA316091315
2ndB3072304019
3rdA3472127011
4thB3081132108
5thB3073112306
6thA348101903
7thA33881713
8thA3507902
9thA35471605
10thB308271201
11thB30745802
12thA3494400
13thB30784401

Towns in East Dorset: crashes in 1981

Ferndown had the most collisions of any town in East Dorset in 1981: 39.

Postcode districts in East Dorset: crashes in 1981

BH21 had the most collisions of any postcode district in East Dorset in 1981: 118.

Dorset and its former districts in 1981

Dorset recorded 1,221 collisions in 1981, and 23% of them were in the old East Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in East Dorset in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in East Dorset in 1981, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

East Dorset road accidents in other years