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CrashStats

Northampton road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 717 road traffic collisions in Northampton in 1981, and 880 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 222 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1980 (702), and casualties rose from 877.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 26,888 collisions in Northampton.

District council until April 2021, now part of West Northamptonshire. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1981
717
Up 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
880
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
11
1.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
222
31% of collisions

Crash severity in Northampton in 1981

1.5% of collisions in Northampton in 1981 were fatal and 31% serious, against 1.3% and 20% in Northampton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal111.5%
  • Serious22231%
  • Slight48468%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal111.3%
  • Serious25729%
  • Slight61270%

Northampton road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Northampton, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 890 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 717, up 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025449566
2024418514
2023405480
2022419507
2021317378
2020274328
2019356452
2018329412
2017333395
2016401477
2015432550
2014392483
2013334403
2012326393
2011404499
2010379480
2009386467
2008481605
2007465573
2006517664
2005514678
2004582747
2003578735
2002582737
2001618768
2000644831
1999729954
1998731961
1997709955
1996647886
1995720926
1994700909
1993724916
1992724955
1991714926
19908211,075
19898901,172
19888481,097
19878161,028
1986706910
1985762927
1984738949
1983744915
1982753918
1981717880
1980702877
1979658846

When and where crashes happen in Northampton in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday100 (14%)
  • Tuesday110 (15%)
  • Wednesday100 (14%)
  • Thursday113 (16%)
  • Friday124 (17%)
  • Saturday104 (15%)
  • Sunday66 (9.2%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5928 (3.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5999 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5986 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59108 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59177 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59102 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59108 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January42 (5.9%)
  • February70 (9.8%)
  • March61 (8.5%)
  • April55 (7.7%)
  • May59 (8.2%)
  • June55 (7.7%)
  • July63 (8.8%)
  • August72 (10%)
  • September61 (8.5%)
  • October66 (9.2%)
  • November64 (8.9%)
  • December49 (6.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight487 (68%)
  • Dark, street lights lit182 (25%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown30 (4.2%)
  • Dark, no street lighting15 (2.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds578 (81%)
  • Raining, no high winds83 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (2.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (0.8%)
  • Fog or mist5 (0.7%)
  • Raining with high winds5 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.6%)
  • Other14 (2%)
  • Not recorded5 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry457 (64%)
  • Wet or damp229 (32%)
  • Frost or ice24 (3.3%)
  • Snow6 (0.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph560 (78%)
  • 40 mph42 (5.9%)
  • 50 mph10 (1.4%)
  • 60 mph57 (7.9%)
  • 70 mph46 (6.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway498 (69%)
  • Dual carriageway134 (19%)
  • One way street or slip road38 (5.3%)
  • Roundabout34 (4.7%)
  • Not recorded13 (1.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Northampton in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant317 (36%)
  • Motorcyclist239 (27%)
  • Pedestrian158 (18%)
  • Cyclist83 (9.4%)
  • Van occupant31 (3.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant18 (2%)
  • Minibus occupant17 (1.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 532 (3.6%)
  • 6 to 1045 (5.1%)
  • 11 to 1561 (6.9%)
  • 16 to 20244 (28%)
  • 21 to 25123 (14%)
  • 26 to 35139 (16%)
  • 36 to 4579 (9%)
  • 46 to 5556 (6.4%)
  • 56 to 6550 (5.7%)
  • 66 to 7531 (3.5%)
  • Over 7520 (2.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider516 (59%)
  • Passenger206 (23%)
  • Pedestrian158 (18%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car720 (58%)
  • Motorcycle256 (21%)
  • Pedal cycle87 (7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes61 (4.9%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes50 (4%)
  • Bus or coach36 (2.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car15 (1.2%)
  • Minibus10 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Northampton in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Northampton

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in Northampton with the most crashes in 1981

The A45 had the most collisions in Northampton in 1981: 117, including 2 fatal and 36 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Northampton, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA45117136236
2ndA508102134036
3rdA436275025
4thA428445737
5thA5123373909
6thA4345233227
7thA5095233405
8thA4508181907
9thA50182005
10thA5101101003
11thB5264502
12thA45001101
13thM11200

Towns in Northampton: crashes in 1981

Northampton had 642 collisions in 1981.

Postcode districts in Northampton: crashes in 1981

NN1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Northampton in 1981: 232.

West Northamptonshire and its former districts in 1981

West Northamptonshire recorded 1,564 collisions in 1981, and 46% of them were in the old Northampton district.

Other former districts in West Northamptonshire

Latest crashes in Northampton in 1981

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

Severity

Northampton road accidents in other years