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CrashStats

Preston road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 642 road traffic collisions in Preston in 1981, and 841 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 146 were serious.

Collisions were down 4% on 1980 (669), and casualties rose from 821.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 28,414 collisions in Preston.

Collisions in 1981
642
Down 4% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
841
Up 2% on 1980
Fatal collisions
13
2% of collisions
Serious collisions
146
23% of collisions

Crash severity in Preston in 1981

2% of collisions in Preston in 1981 were fatal and 23% serious, against 1.1% and 18% in Preston from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal132%
  • Serious14623%
  • Slight48375%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal141.7%
  • Serious16319%
  • Slight66479%

Preston road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Preston, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 888 in 1997. 1981 is highlighted, with 642, down 4% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025346453
2024343465
2023363515
2022333449
2021319458
2020270370
2019362494
2018409560
2017378518
2016394548
2015386575
2014464642
2013378503
2012469638
2011489676
2010529774
2009636892
2008657936
20077261,008
20067621,112
20057211,019
20047141,013
2003706974
20027361,111
20018551,275
20007971,215
19996671,019
19987051,016
19978881,288
19968201,179
19957881,138
19948531,188
19937451,053
1992718950
19917541,008
19907611,035
1989664890
1988632824
1987622802
1986665860
1985633855
1984681858
1983627762
1982653805
1981642841
1980669821
1979685879

When and where crashes happen in Preston in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday88 (14%)
  • Tuesday95 (15%)
  • Wednesday84 (13%)
  • Thursday90 (14%)
  • Friday103 (16%)
  • Saturday99 (15%)
  • Sunday83 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5928 (4.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5959 (9.2%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5978 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59122 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59179 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5982 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5987 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January40 (6.2%)
  • February37 (5.8%)
  • March66 (10%)
  • April58 (9%)
  • May52 (8.1%)
  • June65 (10%)
  • July53 (8.3%)
  • August47 (7.3%)
  • September65 (10%)
  • October63 (9.8%)
  • November60 (9.3%)
  • December36 (5.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight458 (71%)
  • Dark, street lights lit169 (26%)
  • Dark, no street lighting13 (2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds510 (79%)
  • Raining, no high winds114 (18%)
  • Snowing, no high winds10 (1.6%)
  • Fog or mist4 (0.6%)
  • Fine with high winds3 (0.5%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry386 (60%)
  • Wet or damp231 (36%)
  • Frost or ice18 (2.8%)
  • Snow7 (1.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 15 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph527 (82%)
  • 40 mph22 (3.4%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph45 (7%)
  • 70 mph45 (7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway499 (78%)
  • Dual carriageway97 (15%)
  • One way street or slip road31 (4.8%)
  • Roundabout15 (2.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Preston in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant324 (39%)
  • Pedestrian172 (20%)
  • Motorcyclist155 (18%)
  • Cyclist75 (8.9%)
  • Bus or coach occupant48 (5.7%)
  • Van occupant36 (4.3%)
  • Minibus occupant15 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (1.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (0.7%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 539 (4.6%)
  • 6 to 1044 (5.2%)
  • 11 to 1566 (7.8%)
  • 16 to 20185 (22%)
  • 21 to 25103 (12%)
  • 26 to 35123 (15%)
  • 36 to 4595 (11%)
  • 46 to 5564 (7.6%)
  • 56 to 6552 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7542 (5%)
  • Over 7528 (3.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider407 (48%)
  • Passenger262 (31%)
  • Pedestrian172 (20%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car660 (62%)
  • Motorcycle165 (15%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes78 (7.3%)
  • Pedal cycle76 (7.1%)
  • Bus or coach48 (4.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes26 (2.4%)
  • Other vehicle8 (0.7%)
  • Minibus4 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car4 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Preston in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Preston

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Preston ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Preston had the 128th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
128th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
132nd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
157th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
184th
of 349 areas, highest first

Roads in Preston with the most crashes in 1981

The A6 had the most collisions in Preston in 1981: 74, including 2 fatal and 13 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Preston, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA67495213
2ndA50855894114
3rdA59456027
4thB62434151214
5thA583385308
6thM6335326
7thB5411172003
8thA6063121301
9thB6242121202
10thB5269111402
11thA5072101404
12thM55101402
13thA50713302
14thB52581200
15thB62451100

Towns in Preston: crashes in 1981

Preston, Preston had the most collisions of any town in Preston in 1981: 437.

Postcode districts in Preston: crashes in 1981

PR1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Preston in 1981: 296.

Latest crashes in Preston in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Preston in 1981, 1 was fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Preston road accidents in other years