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CrashStats

Forest Heath road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 247 road traffic collisions in Forest Heath in 1997, and 349 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 44 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1996 (253), and casualties fell from 385.

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 1997
247
Down 2% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
349
Down 9% on 1996
Fatal collisions
6
2.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
44
18% of collisions

Crash severity in Forest Heath in 1997

2.4% of collisions in Forest Heath in 1997 were fatal and 18% serious, against 2.7% and 23% in Forest Heath from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal62.4%
  • Serious4418%
  • Slight19780%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal72%
  • Serious5616%
  • Slight28682%

Forest Heath road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Forest Heath, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 329 in 1984. 1997 is highlighted, with 247, down 2% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday43 (17%)
  • Tuesday39 (16%)
  • Wednesday30 (12%)
  • Thursday31 (13%)
  • Friday50 (20%)
  • Saturday20 (8.1%)
  • Sunday34 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5910 (4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:595 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5933 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5932 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5944 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5957 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5944 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5922 (8.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January22 (8.9%)
  • February19 (7.7%)
  • March20 (8.1%)
  • April24 (9.7%)
  • May16 (6.5%)
  • June18 (7.3%)
  • July24 (9.7%)
  • August22 (8.9%)
  • September19 (7.7%)
  • October27 (11%)
  • November18 (7.3%)
  • December18 (7.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight176 (71%)
  • Dark, no street lighting41 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit27 (11%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds197 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds33 (13%)
  • Fog or mist6 (2.4%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (2%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.4%)
  • Other3 (1.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry165 (67%)
  • Wet or damp77 (31%)
  • Frost or ice4 (1.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph103 (42%)
  • 40 mph16 (6.5%)
  • 50 mph3 (1.2%)
  • 60 mph99 (40%)
  • 70 mph26 (11%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway210 (85%)
  • Dual carriageway28 (11%)
  • Roundabout8 (3.2%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Forest Heath in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant230 (66%)
  • Motorcyclist37 (11%)
  • Pedestrian32 (9.2%)
  • Cyclist22 (6.3%)
  • Van occupant13 (3.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant3 (0.9%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 51 (0.3%)
  • 6 to 1011 (3.2%)
  • 11 to 159 (2.6%)
  • 16 to 2050 (14%)
  • 21 to 2549 (14%)
  • 26 to 3587 (25%)
  • 36 to 4546 (13%)
  • 46 to 5536 (10%)
  • 56 to 6522 (6.3%)
  • 66 to 7517 (4.9%)
  • Over 755 (1.4%)
  • Not recorded16 (4.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider228 (65%)
  • Passenger89 (26%)
  • Pedestrian32 (9.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car363 (75%)
  • Motorcycle36 (7.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes31 (6.4%)
  • Pedal cycle22 (4.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes19 (3.9%)
  • Other vehicle8 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach7 (1.4%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Forest Heath in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 1997

The A1065 had the most collisions in Forest Heath in 1997: 39, including 9 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Forest Heath, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1065395609
2ndA11365929
3rdA1101274304
4thB1103192301
5thA14172423
6thA1304151812
7thB1112111511
8thA14291803
9thB11028800
10thB15067803
11thB11075602
12thB10634400
13thB11063300
14thB10612400

Towns in Forest Heath: crashes in 1997

Newmarket had the most collisions of any town in Forest Heath in 1997: 46.

Postcode districts in Forest Heath: crashes in 1997

IP28 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Forest Heath in 1997: 97.

West Suffolk and its former districts in 1997

West Suffolk recorded 620 collisions in 1997, and 40% of them were in the old Forest Heath district.

Other former districts in West Suffolk

Latest crashes in Forest Heath in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Forest Heath in 1997, 1 was fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 28 December 1997.

Severity

Forest Heath road accidents in other years