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CrashStats

Purbeck road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 231 road traffic collisions in Purbeck in 1979, and 362 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 5 were fatal and 95 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 7,682 collisions in Purbeck.

District council until April 2019, now part of Dorset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1979
231
Casualties in 1979
362
Fatal collisions
5
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
95
41% of collisions

Crash severity in Purbeck in 1979

2.2% of collisions in Purbeck in 1979 were fatal and 41% serious, against 2.4% and 22% in Purbeck from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal52.2%
  • Serious9541%
  • Slight13157%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal51.4%
  • Serious12635%
  • Slight23164%

Purbeck road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Purbeck, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 248 in 1997. 1979 is highlighted, with 231.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025109142
202489118
202396127
2022103132
202188117
202091127
2019122175
2018119172
2017117184
2016138229
2015142204
2014124177
2013107153
2012108178
2011138184
2010121167
2009144226
2008172253
2007171243
2006164232
2005163255
2004195281
2003194276
2002213322
2001202315
2000193303
1999217313
1998214338
1997248396
1996211352
1995184327
1994179317
1993186304
1992170249
1991192312
1990221369
1989202269
1988191300
1987162220
1986191299
1985167254
1984173273
1983164248
1982173257
1981167242
1980216304
1979231362

When and where crashes happen in Purbeck in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday19 (8.2%)
  • Tuesday36 (16%)
  • Wednesday28 (12%)
  • Thursday41 (18%)
  • Friday46 (20%)
  • Saturday33 (14%)
  • Sunday28 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5915 (6.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5930 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5924 (10%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5934 (15%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5966 (29%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5926 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5934 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January21 (9.1%)
  • February8 (3.5%)
  • March20 (8.7%)
  • April12 (5.2%)
  • May22 (9.5%)
  • June10 (4.3%)
  • July33 (14%)
  • August26 (11%)
  • September20 (8.7%)
  • October19 (8.2%)
  • November14 (6.1%)
  • December26 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight154 (67%)
  • Dark, no street lighting49 (21%)
  • Dark, street lights lit24 (10%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (1.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds190 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds25 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (1.7%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (1.7%)
  • Fog or mist3 (1.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.4%)
  • Other3 (1.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry154 (67%)
  • Wet or damp58 (25%)
  • Frost or ice18 (7.8%)
  • Snow1 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph62 (27%)
  • 40 mph20 (8.7%)
  • 60 mph138 (60%)
  • 70 mph11 (4.8%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway207 (90%)
  • Dual carriageway12 (5.2%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (2.2%)
  • Roundabout5 (2.2%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Purbeck in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant220 (61%)
  • Motorcyclist87 (24%)
  • Pedestrian24 (6.6%)
  • Cyclist10 (2.8%)
  • Van occupant8 (2.2%)
  • Minibus occupant5 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (1.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (1.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 56 (1.7%)
  • 6 to 1014 (3.9%)
  • 11 to 1521 (5.8%)
  • 16 to 20118 (33%)
  • 21 to 2540 (11%)
  • 26 to 3542 (12%)
  • 36 to 4531 (8.6%)
  • 46 to 5533 (9.1%)
  • 56 to 6534 (9.4%)
  • 66 to 7518 (5%)
  • Over 755 (1.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider213 (59%)
  • Passenger125 (35%)
  • Pedestrian24 (6.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car261 (65%)
  • Motorcycle78 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes20 (5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes18 (4.5%)
  • Pedal cycle10 (2.5%)
  • Other vehicle6 (1.5%)
  • Bus or coach5 (1.2%)
  • Minibus5 (1.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Purbeck in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in Purbeck

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in Purbeck with the most crashes in 1979

The A351 had the most collisions in Purbeck in 1979: 49, including 16 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Purbeck, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3514973016
2ndA353666019
3rdA3522956217
4thA350141514
5thB306791006
6thB307081202
7thA3151400
8thB33514702
9thB33904703
10thB30693400
11thB30712301
12thB30751101

Towns in Purbeck: crashes in 1979

Upton, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in Purbeck in 1979: 21.

Postcode districts in Purbeck: crashes in 1979

BH20 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Purbeck in 1979: 98.

Dorset and its former districts in 1979

Dorset recorded 1,418 collisions in 1979, and 16% of them were in the old Purbeck district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in Purbeck in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in Purbeck in 1979, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 29 December 1979.

Severity

Purbeck road accidents in other years