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CrashStats

North Yorkshire road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 2,699 road traffic collisions in North Yorkshire in 1981, and 3,974 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 95 were fatal and 1,252 were serious.

Collisions were up 1% on 1980 (2,672), and casualties rose from 3,959.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 100,304 collisions in North Yorkshire.

Collisions in 1981
2,699
Up 1% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
3,974
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
95
3.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
1,252
46% of collisions

Crash severity in North Yorkshire in 1981

3.5% of collisions in North Yorkshire in 1981 were fatal and 46% serious, against 2.8% and 30% in North Yorkshire from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal953.5%
  • Serious1,25246%
  • Slight1,35250%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal1072.7%
  • Serious1,69143%
  • Slight2,17655%

North Yorkshire road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in North Yorkshire, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 3,045 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 2,699, up 1% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20251,1591,530
20241,0431,441
20231,1291,576
20228771,209
20211,0121,378
20209131,223
20191,0241,462
20181,2381,757
20171,4322,010
20161,5622,250
20151,6132,315
20141,5652,258
20131,6052,273
20121,6762,366
20111,5632,326
20101,6542,445
20091,8622,755
20081,9082,779
20072,1073,182
20062,0383,027
20052,1713,233
20042,4693,649
20032,4953,634
20022,5363,786
20012,4773,742
20002,5763,825
19992,6754,011
19982,7274,048
19972,6934,284
19962,7784,105
19952,8114,248
19942,8024,307
19932,7074,075
19922,6624,133
19912,7364,032
19902,9664,521
19893,0454,592
19882,7834,187
19872,5843,844
19862,6213,964
19852,4353,586
19842,4213,592
19832,4553,459
19822,7034,000
19812,6993,974
19802,6723,959
19792,6253,921

When and where crashes happen in North Yorkshire in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday361 (13%)
  • Tuesday288 (11%)
  • Wednesday334 (12%)
  • Thursday383 (14%)
  • Friday433 (16%)
  • Saturday451 (17%)
  • Sunday449 (17%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59161 (6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5943 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59248 (9.2%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59350 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59500 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59647 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59363 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59387 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January221 (8.2%)
  • February170 (6.3%)
  • March186 (6.9%)
  • April233 (8.6%)
  • May223 (8.3%)
  • June246 (9.1%)
  • July268 (9.9%)
  • August260 (9.6%)
  • September248 (9.2%)
  • October246 (9.1%)
  • November215 (8%)
  • December183 (6.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,850 (69%)
  • Dark, no street lighting460 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit374 (14%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown9 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit6 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds2,168 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds295 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds68 (2.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds49 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist39 (1.4%)
  • Raining with high winds21 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds15 (0.6%)
  • Other35 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded9 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,681 (62%)
  • Wet or damp823 (30%)
  • Frost or ice121 (4.5%)
  • Snow72 (2.7%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph1,036 (38%)
  • 40 mph107 (4%)
  • 60 mph1,334 (49%)
  • 70 mph222 (8.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway2,378 (88%)
  • Dual carriageway223 (8.3%)
  • One way street or slip road54 (2%)
  • Roundabout42 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in North Yorkshire in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant2,162 (54%)
  • Motorcyclist888 (22%)
  • Pedestrian392 (9.9%)
  • Cyclist279 (7%)
  • Van occupant120 (3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)50 (1.3%)
  • Minibus occupant36 (0.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant25 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant20 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 564 (1.6%)
  • 6 to 10154 (3.9%)
  • 11 to 15249 (6.3%)
  • 16 to 201,214 (31%)
  • 21 to 25582 (15%)
  • 26 to 35550 (14%)
  • 36 to 45350 (8.8%)
  • 46 to 55301 (7.6%)
  • 56 to 65240 (6%)
  • 66 to 75192 (4.8%)
  • Over 7578 (2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider2,268 (57%)
  • Passenger1,314 (33%)
  • Pedestrian392 (9.9%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,917 (61%)
  • Motorcycle833 (18%)
  • Pedal cycle302 (6.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes258 (5.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes231 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach82 (1.7%)
  • Other vehicle78 (1.6%)
  • Minibus34 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car10 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for North Yorkshire in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in North Yorkshire

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How North Yorkshire ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, North Yorkshire had the 5th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
5th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
2nd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
2nd
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
1st
highest of 349 areas

Roads in North Yorkshire with the most crashes in 1981

The A59 had the most collisions in North Yorkshire in 1981: 147, including 67 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in North Yorkshire, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA59147213067
2ndA19144209475
3rdA641412361066
4thA61124169740
5thA11081911051
6thA6577124526
7thA17168107340
8thA1656696033
9thA17060104629
10thB62654872218
11thA6844270417
12thA61083558216
13thA1673453013
14thA61363452020
15thA633140017
16thA1692958016
17thA10792643212
18thA162222807
19thA1041212719
20thA629214437

Towns in North Yorkshire: crashes in 1981

Harrogate had the most collisions of any town in North Yorkshire in 1981: 220.

Postcode districts in North Yorkshire: crashes in 1981

BD23 had the most collisions of any postcode district in North Yorkshire in 1981: 178.

Former districts in North Yorkshire in 1981

North Yorkshire now covers 7 former district councils, abolished in April 2023. Of these, Harrogate had the most collisions in 1981: 665.

Latest crashes in North Yorkshire in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in North Yorkshire in 1981, 1 was fatal and 13 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

North Yorkshire road accidents in other years