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CrashStats

Portsmouth road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 971 road traffic collisions in Portsmouth in 1981, and 1,131 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 276 were serious.

Collisions were up 5% on 1980 (925), and casualties rose from 1,126.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 36,247 collisions in Portsmouth.

Collisions in 1981
971
Up 5% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,131
Level with 1980
Fatal collisions
13
1.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
276
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Portsmouth in 1981

1.3% of collisions in Portsmouth in 1981 were fatal and 28% serious, against 0.8% and 18% in Portsmouth from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal131.3%
  • Serious27628%
  • Slight68270%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal141.2%
  • Serious29826%
  • Slight81972%

Portsmouth road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Portsmouth, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,051 in 1985. 1981 is highlighted, with 971, up 5% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025457510
2024449519
2023463534
2022449529
2021428486
2020427495
2019484563
2018520608
2017541614
2016561652
2015591663
2014589693
2013607727
2012634740
2011684807
2010582742
2009596705
2008597719
2007675788
2006719877
2005729915
2004784962
20038051,016
20029111,146
20018111,014
20009801,217
19999131,108
19989061,134
19978861,100
19969801,184
19959501,158
19949091,081
19939841,180
19928821,060
19919231,086
19909671,154
19891,0481,241
19881,0051,175
19879091,097
19861,0011,175
19851,0511,230
19841,0251,219
19839531,108
19821,0031,203
19819711,131
19809251,126
19799831,216

When and where crashes happen in Portsmouth in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday144 (15%)
  • Tuesday151 (16%)
  • Wednesday152 (16%)
  • Thursday139 (14%)
  • Friday160 (16%)
  • Saturday152 (16%)
  • Sunday73 (7.5%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5931 (3.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (0.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59120 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59110 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59196 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59243 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59166 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59101 (10%)

Collisions by month

  • January67 (6.9%)
  • February64 (6.6%)
  • March83 (8.5%)
  • April75 (7.7%)
  • May77 (7.9%)
  • June80 (8.2%)
  • July77 (7.9%)
  • August64 (6.6%)
  • September97 (10%)
  • October107 (11%)
  • November97 (10%)
  • December83 (8.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight700 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit248 (26%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown14 (1.4%)
  • Dark, no street lighting6 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds738 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds132 (14%)
  • Raining with high winds23 (2.4%)
  • Fine with high winds22 (2.3%)
  • Fog or mist7 (0.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.3%)
  • Other45 (4.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry675 (70%)
  • Wet or damp291 (30%)
  • Frost or ice4 (0.4%)
  • Snow1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph826 (85%)
  • 40 mph65 (6.7%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 60 mph33 (3.4%)
  • 70 mph45 (4.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway738 (76%)
  • Dual carriageway98 (10%)
  • Roundabout94 (9.7%)
  • One way street or slip road33 (3.4%)
  • Not recorded8 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Portsmouth in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Motorcyclist385 (34%)
  • Car occupant281 (25%)
  • Pedestrian197 (17%)
  • Cyclist194 (17%)
  • Bus or coach occupant33 (2.9%)
  • Van occupant24 (2.1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant12 (1.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 516 (1.4%)
  • 6 to 1046 (4.1%)
  • 11 to 1583 (7.3%)
  • 16 to 20361 (32%)
  • 21 to 25163 (14%)
  • 26 to 35158 (14%)
  • 36 to 4587 (7.7%)
  • 46 to 5574 (6.5%)
  • 56 to 6559 (5.2%)
  • 66 to 7559 (5.2%)
  • Over 7525 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider741 (66%)
  • Pedestrian197 (17%)
  • Passenger193 (17%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car886 (52%)
  • Motorcycle405 (24%)
  • Pedal cycle206 (12%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes90 (5.3%)
  • Bus or coach52 (3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes30 (1.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car25 (1.5%)
  • Minibus9 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle8 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Portsmouth in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Portsmouth

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Portsmouth ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Portsmouth had the 81st most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
81st
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
90th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
157th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
46th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Portsmouth with the most crashes in 1981

The A3 had the most collisions in Portsmouth in 1981: 127, including 2 fatal and 36 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Portsmouth, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3127146236
2ndA204799111024
3rdA28898119026
4thA275465120
5thB2154384608
6thA2030364417
7thB2151283309
8thA333213125
9thB2153161906
10thA397131303
11thM27111517
12thB215281204
13thB21776603
14thB21555501
15thM2753301
16thA2041100
17thA20401100
18thA30201100

Towns in Portsmouth: crashes in 1981

Portsmouth itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 825.

Postcode districts in Portsmouth: crashes in 1981

PO6 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Portsmouth in 1981: 228.

Latest crashes in Portsmouth in 1981

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

Severity

Portsmouth road accidents in other years