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CrashStats

Scottish Borders road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 497 road traffic collisions in the Scottish Borders in 1981, and 724 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 17 were fatal and 214 were serious.

Collisions were up 9% on 1980 (454), and casualties rose from 706.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 16,598 collisions in the Scottish Borders.

Collisions in 1981
497
Up 9% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
724
Up 3% on 1980
Fatal collisions
17
3.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
214
43% of collisions

Crash severity in the Scottish Borders in 1981

3.4% of collisions in the Scottish Borders in 1981 were fatal and 43% serious, against 3.4% and 28% in the Scottish Borders from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal173.4%
  • Serious21443%
  • Slight26654%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal223%
  • Serious28339%
  • Slight41958%

Scottish Borders road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the Scottish Borders, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 579 in 1989. 1981 is highlighted, with 497, up 9% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
202574112
202487141
2023107156
202294137
2021102140
202083108
2019145218
2018173239
2017186275
2016202302
2015220293
2014221295
2013257335
2012263370
2011275369
2010307398
2009363505
2008385533
2007334453
2006371510
2005447642
2004453640
2003442630
2002449630
2001412580
2000417609
1999368526
1998451643
1997396565
1996453649
1995431621
1994441646
1993472662
1992489756
1991467694
1990497709
1989579867
1988478686
1987471731
1986458649
1985439628
1984427583
1983439653
1982503698
1981497724
1980454706
1979519734

When and where crashes happen in the Scottish Borders in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday61 (12%)
  • Tuesday67 (13%)
  • Wednesday54 (11%)
  • Thursday81 (16%)
  • Friday66 (13%)
  • Saturday86 (17%)
  • Sunday82 (16%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5931 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5949 (9.9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5981 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5991 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59117 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5969 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5951 (10%)

Collisions by month

  • January29 (5.8%)
  • February30 (6%)
  • March36 (7.2%)
  • April45 (9.1%)
  • May38 (7.6%)
  • June35 (7%)
  • July50 (10%)
  • August52 (10%)
  • September50 (10%)
  • October51 (10%)
  • November40 (8%)
  • December41 (8.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight357 (72%)
  • Dark, no street lighting101 (20%)
  • Dark, street lights lit39 (7.8%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds363 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds70 (14%)
  • Snowing, no high winds25 (5%)
  • Raining with high winds8 (1.6%)
  • Fog or mist5 (1%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Other22 (4.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry259 (52%)
  • Wet or damp167 (34%)
  • Frost or ice38 (7.6%)
  • Snow31 (6.2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph164 (33%)
  • 60 mph332 (67%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway487 (98%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (1.8%)
  • Roundabout1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the Scottish Borders in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant430 (59%)
  • Pedestrian89 (12%)
  • Motorcyclist84 (12%)
  • Van occupant44 (6.1%)
  • Cyclist30 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)20 (2.8%)
  • Minibus occupant15 (2.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (1.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant4 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 517 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1024 (3.3%)
  • 11 to 1553 (7.3%)
  • 16 to 20148 (20%)
  • 21 to 2599 (14%)
  • 26 to 35119 (16%)
  • 36 to 4580 (11%)
  • 46 to 5571 (9.8%)
  • 56 to 6563 (8.7%)
  • 66 to 7534 (4.7%)
  • Over 7516 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider398 (55%)
  • Passenger237 (33%)
  • Pedestrian89 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car481 (64%)
  • Motorcycle81 (11%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes64 (8.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes53 (7.1%)
  • Pedal cycle32 (4.3%)
  • Bus or coach16 (2.1%)
  • Other vehicle16 (2.1%)
  • Minibus5 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the Scottish Borders in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in the Scottish Borders

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How the Scottish Borders ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the Scottish Borders had fewer road collisions than 187 of them in 1981.

Collisions
188th
of 349 areas, highest first
Casualties
172nd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
95th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
83rd
highest of 349 areas

Roads in the Scottish Borders with the most crashes in 1981

The A7 had the most collisions in the Scottish Borders in 1981: 78, including 2 fatal and 34 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the Scottish Borders, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA778106234
2ndA684572116
3rdA724059120
4thA1234728
5thA698212724
6thA697172739
7thA6105142825
8thB6374131718
9thA1107122306
10thA70191404
11thB635591613
12thA608982014
13thB636081203
14thA7037902
15thA7087902
16thA6996902
17thA7026801
18thA60915605
19thA61125603
20thA7075500

Towns in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 1981

Galashiels had the most collisions of any town in the Scottish Borders in 1981: 41.

Postcode districts in the Scottish Borders: crashes in 1981

TD1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the Scottish Borders in 1981: 75.

Latest crashes in the Scottish Borders in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in the Scottish Borders in 1981, 1 was fatal and 11 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Scottish Borders road accidents in other years