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CrashStats

Manchester road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 2,508 road traffic collisions in Manchester in 1981, and 3,032 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 34 were fatal and 421 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1980 (2,558), and casualties fell from 3,133.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 93,482 collisions in Manchester.

Collisions in 1981
2,508
Down 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
3,032
Down 3% on 1980
Fatal collisions
34
1.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
421
17% of collisions

Crash severity in Manchester in 1981

1.4% of collisions in Manchester in 1981 were fatal and 17% serious, against 1.2% and 12% in Manchester from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal341.4%
  • Serious42117%
  • Slight2,05382%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal341.1%
  • Serious45815%
  • Slight2,54084%

Manchester road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Manchester, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 3,082 in 1990. 1981 is highlighted, with 2,508, down 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025712848
2024720892
2023638807
2022701868
2021714902
2020552735
20198931,209
20181,0051,339
20171,0541,379
2016714926
2015723988
20141,0141,399
20131,0141,388
20121,1331,544
20111,3861,932
20101,4251,962
20091,7072,404
20081,7562,428
20071,8322,643
20062,0192,844
20052,3363,173
20042,4193,426
20032,4793,508
20022,6333,760
20012,6363,753
20002,7013,894
19992,5143,666
19982,6873,798
19972,6573,727
19962,6653,612
19952,5853,493
19942,6593,509
19932,8283,633
19922,9903,849
19912,6933,509
19903,0823,877
19893,0383,776
19882,8603,605
19872,6883,324
19862,7243,355
19852,7153,327
19842,6103,129
19832,4982,968
19822,4342,985
19812,5083,032
19802,5583,133
19792,5733,226

When and where crashes happen in Manchester in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday339 (14%)
  • Tuesday371 (15%)
  • Wednesday354 (14%)
  • Thursday420 (17%)
  • Friday435 (17%)
  • Saturday360 (14%)
  • Sunday229 (9.1%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59116 (4.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5939 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59251 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59314 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59438 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59689 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59366 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59295 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January199 (7.9%)
  • February180 (7.2%)
  • March231 (9.2%)
  • April185 (7.4%)
  • May187 (7.5%)
  • June186 (7.4%)
  • July236 (9.4%)
  • August191 (7.6%)
  • September199 (7.9%)
  • October283 (11%)
  • November250 (10%)
  • December181 (7.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,739 (69%)
  • Dark, street lights lit741 (30%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown15 (0.6%)
  • Dark, no street lighting8 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,850 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds456 (18%)
  • Raining with high winds55 (2.2%)
  • Fine with high winds43 (1.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds20 (0.8%)
  • Fog or mist5 (0.2%)
  • Snowing with high winds3 (0.1%)
  • Other62 (2.5%)
  • Not recorded14 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,425 (57%)
  • Wet or damp1,006 (40%)
  • Frost or ice59 (2.4%)
  • Snow18 (0.7%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph2,255 (90%)
  • 40 mph209 (8.3%)
  • 50 mph19 (0.8%)
  • 60 mph4 (0.2%)
  • 70 mph21 (0.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,957 (78%)
  • Dual carriageway343 (14%)
  • One way street or slip road95 (3.8%)
  • Roundabout45 (1.8%)
  • Not recorded68 (2.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Manchester in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,141 (38%)
  • Pedestrian949 (31%)
  • Motorcyclist428 (14%)
  • Cyclist261 (8.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant125 (4.1%)
  • Van occupant78 (2.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant30 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant8 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant7 (0.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 5117 (3.9%)
  • 6 to 10228 (7.5%)
  • 11 to 15252 (8.3%)
  • 16 to 20567 (19%)
  • 21 to 25415 (14%)
  • 26 to 35440 (15%)
  • 36 to 45316 (10%)
  • 46 to 55271 (8.9%)
  • 56 to 65208 (6.9%)
  • 66 to 75142 (4.7%)
  • Over 7576 (2.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,339 (44%)
  • Pedestrian949 (31%)
  • Passenger744 (25%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,705 (66%)
  • Motorcycle476 (12%)
  • Pedal cycle268 (6.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes237 (5.8%)
  • Bus or coach193 (4.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes98 (2.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car62 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle22 (0.5%)
  • Minibus16 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Manchester in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Manchester

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Manchester ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Manchester had the 7th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
7th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
7th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
23rd
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
17th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Manchester with the most crashes in 1981

The A34 had the most collisions in Manchester in 1981: 147, including 1 fatal and 19 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Manchester, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA34147178119
2ndA6128154121
3rdA5103124156125
4thA6010120146021
5thA6657898114
6thA6646378114
7thA565765010
8thA575767112
9thA51455668010
10thA62556925
11thB5093537308
12thB5117525605
13thB51674855014
14thA635465516
15thA560343735
16thA6104303705
17thA6042283103
18thA662273918
19thB5166253106
20thA576233212

Towns in Manchester: crashes in 1981

Manchester itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 2,073.

Postcode districts in Manchester: crashes in 1981

M14 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Manchester in 1981: 222.

Latest crashes in Manchester in 1981

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

Severity

Manchester road accidents in other years