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CrashStats

Luton road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 677 road traffic collisions in Luton in 1981, and 829 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 130 were serious.

Collisions were down 4% on 1980 (706), and casualties fell from 860.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 25,599 collisions in Luton.

Collisions in 1981
677
Down 4% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
829
Down 4% on 1980
Fatal collisions
4
0.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
130
19% of collisions

Crash severity in Luton in 1981

0.6% of collisions in Luton in 1981 were fatal and 19% serious, against 1% and 14% in Luton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal40.6%
  • Serious13019%
  • Slight54380%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal40.5%
  • Serious14017%
  • Slight68583%

Luton road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Luton, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 752 in 1984. 1981 is highlighted, with 677, down 4% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025354450
2024375495
2023385512
2022429592
2021346470
2020363509
2019436608
2018501703
2017516743
2016512668
2015470616
2014462615
2013381469
2012462626
2011503663
2010516697
2009482679
2008514654
2007494660
2006490665
2005477592
2004444585
2003456659
2002527718
2001539728
2000533703
1999578771
1998621849
1997631817
1996693909
1995587753
1994601785
1993598744
1992568764
1991581730
1990631784
1989643781
1988643814
1987637801
1986718909
1985696856
1984752938
1983741866
1982681817
1981677829
1980706860
1979649827

When and where crashes happen in Luton in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday91 (13%)
  • Tuesday99 (15%)
  • Wednesday103 (15%)
  • Thursday99 (15%)
  • Friday111 (16%)
  • Saturday98 (14%)
  • Sunday76 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5934 (5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5910 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5969 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5969 (10%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59133 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59181 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59109 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5972 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January42 (6.2%)
  • February43 (6.4%)
  • March51 (7.5%)
  • April45 (6.6%)
  • May60 (8.9%)
  • June73 (11%)
  • July60 (8.9%)
  • August67 (9.9%)
  • September61 (9%)
  • October62 (9.2%)
  • November71 (10%)
  • December42 (6.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight485 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit182 (27%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (0.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds521 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds113 (17%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (1.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds7 (1%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (0.9%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.6%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Other12 (1.8%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry434 (64%)
  • Wet or damp216 (32%)
  • Frost or ice16 (2.4%)
  • Snow11 (1.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph607 (90%)
  • 40 mph36 (5.3%)
  • 60 mph17 (2.5%)
  • 70 mph16 (2.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway531 (78%)
  • Dual carriageway70 (10%)
  • Roundabout41 (6.1%)
  • One way street or slip road31 (4.6%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Luton in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant293 (35%)
  • Pedestrian219 (26%)
  • Motorcyclist168 (20%)
  • Cyclist82 (9.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant34 (4.1%)
  • Van occupant14 (1.7%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (0.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 537 (4.5%)
  • 6 to 1085 (10%)
  • 11 to 1587 (10%)
  • 16 to 20212 (26%)
  • 21 to 25120 (14%)
  • 26 to 3597 (12%)
  • 36 to 4564 (7.7%)
  • 46 to 5553 (6.4%)
  • 56 to 6542 (5.1%)
  • 66 to 7523 (2.8%)
  • Over 759 (1.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider404 (49%)
  • Pedestrian219 (26%)
  • Passenger206 (25%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car742 (63%)
  • Motorcycle172 (15%)
  • Pedal cycle85 (7.2%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes57 (4.8%)
  • Bus or coach45 (3.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes35 (3%)
  • Other vehicle18 (1.5%)
  • Minibus16 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car11 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Luton in 1981

Map of the last 23 crashes of 1981 in Luton

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

  • 23 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Luton ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Luton had the 118th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
118th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
137th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
314th
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
222nd
of 349 areas, highest first

Roads in Luton with the most crashes in 1981

The A505 had the most collisions in Luton in 1981: 120, including 1 fatal and 23 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Luton, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA505120146123
2ndA66894113
3rdB579263306
4thM1141803
5thB454081002
6thA61296703
7thA10815602
8thA52284501
9thA4281200
10thB62451200
11thB64251200

Towns in Luton: crashes in 1981

Luton itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 637.

Postcode districts in Luton: crashes in 1981

LU1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Luton in 1981: 203.

Latest crashes in Luton in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Luton in 1981, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Luton road accidents in other years