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CrashStats

Plymouth road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 988 road traffic collisions in Plymouth in 1981, and 1,226 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 17 were fatal and 353 were serious.

Collisions were down 1% on 1980 (1,000), and casualties fell from 1,255.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 39,632 collisions in Plymouth.

Collisions in 1981
988
Down 1% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,226
Down 2% on 1980
Fatal collisions
17
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
353
36% of collisions

Crash severity in Plymouth in 1981

1.7% of collisions in Plymouth in 1981 were fatal and 36% serious, against 0.9% and 19% in Plymouth from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal171.7%
  • Serious35336%
  • Slight61863%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal171.4%
  • Serious41534%
  • Slight79465%

Plymouth road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Plymouth, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,231 in 1984. 1981 is highlighted, with 988, down 1% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025420503
2024423523
2023394474
2022371470
2021395488
2020381470
2019483610
2018465598
2017546722
2016538698
2015619804
2014598792
2013633830
2012587736
2011706916
2010716919
2009680885
2008722890
20079071,122
20069041,121
20058791,076
20049401,152
20039301,119
20029421,138
20019541,157
20009581,181
19999721,211
19981,0221,252
19971,0541,356
19961,0701,360
19951,0421,282
19941,0091,229
19931,0931,265
19921,0571,283
19911,0691,286
19901,1511,439
19899991,214
19881,1141,336
19871,0571,306
19861,1321,421
19851,1491,379
19841,2311,485
19831,1911,477
19821,0731,388
19819881,226
19801,0001,255
19791,0681,353

When and where crashes happen in Plymouth in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday135 (14%)
  • Tuesday139 (14%)
  • Wednesday173 (18%)
  • Thursday161 (16%)
  • Friday168 (17%)
  • Saturday124 (13%)
  • Sunday88 (8.9%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5943 (4.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5916 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59131 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59105 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59167 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59269 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59140 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59117 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January59 (6%)
  • February60 (6.1%)
  • March92 (9.3%)
  • April96 (9.7%)
  • May73 (7.4%)
  • June73 (7.4%)
  • July85 (8.6%)
  • August40 (4%)
  • September90 (9.1%)
  • October110 (11%)
  • November110 (11%)
  • December100 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight690 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit280 (28%)
  • Dark, no street lighting10 (1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit7 (0.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds740 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds194 (20%)
  • Fine with high winds17 (1.7%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (1.4%)
  • Fog or mist11 (1.1%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.2%)
  • Other6 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry630 (64%)
  • Wet or damp353 (36%)
  • Frost or ice5 (0.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph861 (87%)
  • 40 mph88 (8.9%)
  • 50 mph9 (0.9%)
  • 60 mph28 (2.8%)
  • 70 mph2 (0.2%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway680 (69%)
  • Dual carriageway203 (21%)
  • Roundabout80 (8.1%)
  • One way street or slip road25 (2.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Plymouth in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant431 (35%)
  • Motorcyclist392 (32%)
  • Pedestrian247 (20%)
  • Cyclist78 (6.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant46 (3.8%)
  • Van occupant22 (1.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant8 (0.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.1%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 538 (3.1%)
  • 6 to 1054 (4.4%)
  • 11 to 1571 (5.8%)
  • 16 to 20412 (34%)
  • 21 to 25183 (15%)
  • 26 to 35178 (15%)
  • 36 to 45101 (8.2%)
  • 46 to 5572 (5.9%)
  • 56 to 6550 (4.1%)
  • 66 to 7541 (3.3%)
  • Over 7526 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider698 (57%)
  • Passenger281 (23%)
  • Pedestrian247 (20%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,013 (60%)
  • Motorcycle411 (24%)
  • Pedal cycle82 (4.9%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes71 (4.2%)
  • Bus or coach55 (3.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes25 (1.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car17 (1%)
  • Minibus5 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Plymouth in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Plymouth

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Plymouth ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Plymouth had the 77th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
77th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
80th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
95th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
29th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Plymouth with the most crashes in 1981

The A374 had the most collisions in Plymouth in 1981: 131, including 2 fatal and 49 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Plymouth, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA374131166249
2ndA38897114334
3rdA38689116226
4thA386575319
5thA30413646013
6thA30422741012
7thB3238262908
8thA3081243017
9thB3240182307
10thA379162005
11thB3241162804
12thB3373121408
13thB32447902
14thB32436611
15thA30435502
16thB32453302

Towns in Plymouth: crashes in 1981

Plymouth itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 898.

Postcode districts in Plymouth: crashes in 1981

PL1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Plymouth in 1981: 181.

Latest crashes in Plymouth in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Plymouth in 1981, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Plymouth road accidents in other years