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CrashStats

Forest Heath road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 299 road traffic collisions in Forest Heath in 1981, and 458 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 12 were fatal and 99 were serious.

Collisions were up 7% on 1980 (280), and casualties rose from 456.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 10,298 collisions in Forest Heath.

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

Collisions in 1981
299
Up 7% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
458
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
12
4% of collisions
Serious collisions
99
33% of collisions

Crash severity in Forest Heath in 1981

4% of collisions in Forest Heath in 1981 were fatal and 33% serious, against 2.7% and 23% in Forest Heath from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal124%
  • Serious9933%
  • Slight18863%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal163.5%
  • Serious14331%
  • Slight29965%

Forest Heath road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Forest Heath, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 329 in 1984. 1981 is highlighted, with 299, up 7% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025120169
2024105149
202393141
202295153
2021114175
20207087
2019117172
2018126166
2017130188
2016138188
2015128165
2014164241
2013148219
2012172287
2011189250
2010168249
2009198278
2008217307
2007207296
2006234345
2005214309
2004186289
2003278401
2002287438
2001306459
2000241395
1999267419
1998269389
1997247349
1996253385
1995212319
1994248347
1993246366
1992240365
1991248371
1990292440
1989329500
1988319473
1987293409
1986317467
1985258359
1984329455
1983299435
1982305430
1981299458
1980280456
1979303424

When and where crashes happen in Forest Heath in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday34 (11%)
  • Tuesday38 (13%)
  • Wednesday30 (10%)
  • Thursday42 (14%)
  • Friday56 (19%)
  • Saturday52 (17%)
  • Sunday47 (16%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5922 (7.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (2.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5938 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5929 (9.7%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5944 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5967 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5949 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5943 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January24 (8%)
  • February18 (6%)
  • March17 (5.7%)
  • April24 (8%)
  • May35 (12%)
  • June18 (6%)
  • July35 (12%)
  • August22 (7.4%)
  • September32 (11%)
  • October31 (10%)
  • November22 (7.4%)
  • December21 (7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight193 (65%)
  • Dark, no street lighting63 (21%)
  • Dark, street lights lit42 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds227 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds45 (15%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.7%)
  • Fog or mist3 (1%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.7%)
  • Other13 (4.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry202 (68%)
  • Wet or damp78 (26%)
  • Frost or ice16 (5.4%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.7%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph110 (37%)
  • 40 mph20 (6.7%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph150 (50%)
  • 70 mph18 (6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway270 (90%)
  • Dual carriageway19 (6.4%)
  • Roundabout7 (2.3%)
  • One way street or slip road3 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Forest Heath in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant289 (63%)
  • Motorcyclist81 (18%)
  • Cyclist30 (6.6%)
  • Pedestrian30 (6.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant8 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1.7%)
  • Van occupant6 (1.3%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 512 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 1016 (3.5%)
  • 11 to 1530 (6.6%)
  • 16 to 20124 (27%)
  • 21 to 2594 (21%)
  • 26 to 3576 (17%)
  • 36 to 4537 (8.1%)
  • 46 to 5526 (5.7%)
  • 56 to 6528 (6.1%)
  • 66 to 7511 (2.4%)
  • Over 754 (0.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider255 (56%)
  • Passenger173 (38%)
  • Pedestrian30 (6.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car344 (67%)
  • Motorcycle78 (15%)
  • Pedal cycle31 (6.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes30 (5.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes14 (2.7%)
  • Other vehicle7 (1.4%)
  • Bus or coach4 (0.8%)
  • Minibus3 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Forest Heath in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Forest Heath

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in Forest Heath with the most crashes in 1981

The A11 had the most collisions in Forest Heath in 1981: 48, including 3 fatal and 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Forest Heath, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA114876314
2ndA11014062013
3rdA10652654210
4thA1304192406
5thB1103171818
6thB1112172915
7thB1102121302
8thA142112524
9thA45112603
10thB1107101612
11thB11063402
12thB10852201
13thB10631100
14thB15061101

Towns in Forest Heath: crashes in 1981

Newmarket had the most collisions of any town in Forest Heath in 1981: 41.

Postcode districts in Forest Heath: crashes in 1981

IP28 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Forest Heath in 1981: 144.

West Suffolk and its former districts in 1981

West Suffolk recorded 700 collisions in 1981, and 43% of them were in the old Forest Heath district.

Other former districts in West Suffolk

Latest crashes in Forest Heath in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Forest Heath in 1981, 1 was fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1981.

Severity

Forest Heath road accidents in other years