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CrashStats

Reading road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 544 road traffic collisions in Reading in 1981, and 682 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 172 were serious.

Collisions were up 5% on 1980 (516), and casualties rose from 646.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 21,627 collisions in Reading.

Collisions in 1981
544
Up 5% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
682
Up 6% on 1980
Fatal collisions
8
1.5% of collisions
Serious collisions
172
32% of collisions

Crash severity in Reading in 1981

1.5% of collisions in Reading in 1981 were fatal and 32% serious, against 0.9% and 15% in Reading from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal81.5%
  • Serious17232%
  • Slight36467%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.2%
  • Serious18327%
  • Slight49172%

Reading road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Reading, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 704 in 1984. 1981 is highlighted, with 544, up 5% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025250281
2024251277
2023260286
2022310351
2021234264
2020213255
2019227251
2018288329
2017311370
2016304386
2015348425
2014358431
2013362442
2012333432
2011396493
2010359453
2009400510
2008415487
2007436513
2006475576
2005456537
2004473568
2003524615
2002533650
2001517663
2000573707
1999557697
1998531659
1997593731
1996523654
1995520643
1994503631
1993501636
1992545676
1991492611
1990587731
1989609716
1988641804
1987603728
1986651797
1985688846
1984704855
1983637773
1982547665
1981544682
1980516646
1979529672

When and where crashes happen in Reading in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday70 (13%)
  • Tuesday76 (14%)
  • Wednesday69 (13%)
  • Thursday91 (17%)
  • Friday100 (18%)
  • Saturday74 (14%)
  • Sunday64 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5924 (4.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (0.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5961 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5962 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5992 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59138 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5981 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5984 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January31 (5.7%)
  • February40 (7.4%)
  • March40 (7.4%)
  • April49 (9%)
  • May56 (10%)
  • June51 (9.4%)
  • July40 (7.4%)
  • August44 (8.1%)
  • September60 (11%)
  • October52 (9.6%)
  • November43 (7.9%)
  • December38 (7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight366 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit168 (31%)
  • Dark, no street lighting8 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds424 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds69 (13%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (1.5%)
  • Raining with high winds8 (1.5%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.6%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other27 (5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry378 (69%)
  • Wet or damp148 (27%)
  • Frost or ice10 (1.8%)
  • Snow6 (1.1%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph470 (86%)
  • 40 mph61 (11%)
  • 60 mph7 (1.3%)
  • 70 mph6 (1.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway426 (78%)
  • One way street or slip road68 (13%)
  • Roundabout26 (4.8%)
  • Dual carriageway24 (4.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Reading in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant269 (39%)
  • Motorcyclist189 (28%)
  • Pedestrian154 (23%)
  • Cyclist52 (7.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant10 (1.5%)
  • Van occupant7 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 522 (3.2%)
  • 6 to 1044 (6.5%)
  • 11 to 1548 (7%)
  • 16 to 20228 (33%)
  • 21 to 2592 (13%)
  • 26 to 3584 (12%)
  • 36 to 4551 (7.5%)
  • 46 to 5545 (6.6%)
  • 56 to 6531 (4.5%)
  • 66 to 7520 (2.9%)
  • Over 7513 (1.9%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider374 (55%)
  • Passenger154 (23%)
  • Pedestrian154 (23%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car643 (67%)
  • Motorcycle189 (20%)
  • Pedal cycle55 (5.8%)
  • Bus or coach26 (2.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes22 (2.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes10 (1%)
  • Minibus5 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle1 (0.1%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Reading in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Reading

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Reading ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Reading had the 162nd most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
162nd
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
185th
of 349 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
256th
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
137th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Reading with the most crashes in 1981

The A329 had the most collisions in Reading in 1981: 94, including 35 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Reading, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA32994113035
2ndA46784017
3rdA4155414816
4thA33375707
5thB3345182105
6thA327172109
7thB3350121315
8thB400781102
9thA407471303
10thB4816702
11thB4795501
12thM43300
13thB30312400

Towns in Reading: crashes in 1981

Reading itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 474.

Postcode districts in Reading: crashes in 1981

RG1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Reading in 1981: 219.

Latest crashes in Reading in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Reading in 1981, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1981.

Severity

Reading road accidents in other years