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CrashStats

East Dorset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 356 road traffic collisions in East Dorset in 1997, and 498 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 47 were serious.

Collisions were up 13% on 1996 (316), and casualties rose from 472.

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 1997
356
Up 13% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
498
Up 6% on 1996
Fatal collisions
6
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
47
13% of collisions

Crash severity in East Dorset in 1997

1.7% of collisions in East Dorset in 1997 were fatal and 13% serious, against 2.2% and 21% in East Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal61.7%
  • Serious4713%
  • Slight30385%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal61.2%
  • Serious5511%
  • Slight43788%

East Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in East Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 374 in 1988. 1997 is highlighted, with 356, up 13% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday54 (15%)
  • Tuesday56 (16%)
  • Wednesday48 (13%)
  • Thursday49 (14%)
  • Friday55 (15%)
  • Saturday51 (14%)
  • Sunday43 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5913 (3.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (0.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5936 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5960 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5971 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5990 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5950 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5934 (9.6%)

Collisions by month

  • January27 (7.6%)
  • February28 (7.9%)
  • March31 (8.7%)
  • April25 (7%)
  • May28 (7.9%)
  • June24 (6.7%)
  • July28 (7.9%)
  • August34 (9.6%)
  • September23 (6.5%)
  • October35 (9.8%)
  • November39 (11%)
  • December34 (9.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight263 (74%)
  • Dark, street lights lit47 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit44 (12%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds273 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds63 (18%)
  • Fog or mist12 (3.4%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Fine with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other3 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry224 (63%)
  • Wet or damp128 (36%)
  • Frost or ice3 (0.8%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (0.6%)
  • 30 mph150 (42%)
  • 40 mph49 (14%)
  • 50 mph23 (6.5%)
  • 60 mph117 (33%)
  • 70 mph15 (4.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway295 (83%)
  • Roundabout35 (9.8%)
  • Dual carriageway20 (5.6%)
  • One way street or slip road3 (0.8%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in East Dorset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant348 (70%)
  • Motorcyclist46 (9.2%)
  • Cyclist36 (7.2%)
  • Pedestrian35 (7%)
  • Van occupant13 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)6 (1.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 1016 (3.2%)
  • 11 to 1527 (5.4%)
  • 16 to 2075 (15%)
  • 21 to 2575 (15%)
  • 26 to 3587 (17%)
  • 36 to 4561 (12%)
  • 46 to 5555 (11%)
  • 56 to 6544 (8.8%)
  • 66 to 7528 (5.6%)
  • Over 7522 (4.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider334 (67%)
  • Passenger129 (26%)
  • Pedestrian35 (7%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car533 (78%)
  • Motorcycle43 (6.3%)
  • Pedal cycle40 (5.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes28 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes26 (3.8%)
  • Bus or coach7 (1%)
  • Other vehicle7 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.3%)
  • Minibus1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for East Dorset in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 1997

The A31 had the most collisions in East Dorset in 1997: 71, including 2 fatal and 8 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in East Dorset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA31719428
2ndB3072274406
3rdB3073263112
4thB3081223403
5thA347202503
6thA348202602
7thB3078193114
8thB3082132303
9thA354121804
10thA3386700
11thB3415500
12thA3504610
13thB30744801
14thA3491100
15thB30751200

Towns in East Dorset: crashes in 1997

Wimborne Minster had the most collisions of any town in East Dorset in 1997: 43.

Postcode districts in East Dorset: crashes in 1997

BH21 had the most collisions of any postcode district in East Dorset in 1997: 161.

Dorset and its former districts in 1997

Dorset recorded 1,479 collisions in 1997, and 24% of them were in the old East Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in East Dorset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in East Dorset in 1997, 1 was fatal and 1 was serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

East Dorset road accidents in other years