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CrashStats

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 531 road traffic collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981, and 674 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 14 were fatal and 205 were serious.

Collisions were up 17% on 1980 (453), and casualties rose from 626.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 18,868 collisions in Somerset West and Taunton.

District council until April 2023, now part of Somerset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1981
531
Up 17% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
674
Up 8% on 1980
Fatal collisions
14
2.6% of collisions
Serious collisions
205
39% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981

2.6% of collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981 were fatal and 39% serious, against 2.1% and 19% in Somerset West and Taunton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal142.6%
  • Serious20539%
  • Slight31259%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal152.2%
  • Serious23535%
  • Slight42463%

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset West and Taunton, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 542 in 2001. 1981 is highlighted, with 531, up 17% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025212297
2024217303
2023172253
2022176242
2021194273
2020131168
2019278373
2018263369
2017298458
2016299443
2015268373
2014323434
2013325447
2012275383
2011339525
2010363497
2009367538
2008437619
2007483677
2006504706
2005518731
2004479621
2003481649
2002490671
2001542735
2000529721
1999453623
1998500665
1997466633
1996454606
1995456647
1994465636
1993395547
1992474632
1991434587
1990479594
1989465617
1988502653
1987493651
1986456618
1985476632
1984514712
1983498658
1982466638
1981531674
1980453626
1979475637

When and where crashes happen in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday67 (13%)
  • Tuesday77 (15%)
  • Wednesday67 (13%)
  • Thursday86 (16%)
  • Friday90 (17%)
  • Saturday74 (14%)
  • Sunday70 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5931 (5.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5955 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5976 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5995 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59121 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5977 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5970 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January32 (6%)
  • February38 (7.2%)
  • March36 (6.8%)
  • April57 (11%)
  • May61 (11%)
  • June33 (6.2%)
  • July44 (8.3%)
  • August50 (9.4%)
  • September68 (13%)
  • October48 (9%)
  • November30 (5.6%)
  • December34 (6.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight383 (72%)
  • Dark, street lights lit74 (14%)
  • Dark, no street lighting72 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds400 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds63 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds16 (3%)
  • Raining with high winds11 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist7 (1.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds5 (0.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Other23 (4.3%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry361 (68%)
  • Wet or damp159 (30%)
  • Snow6 (1.1%)
  • Frost or ice5 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph272 (51%)
  • 40 mph8 (1.5%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph225 (42%)
  • 70 mph25 (4.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway465 (88%)
  • Dual carriageway34 (6.4%)
  • One way street or slip road23 (4.3%)
  • Roundabout8 (1.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant296 (44%)
  • Motorcyclist183 (27%)
  • Cyclist85 (13%)
  • Pedestrian81 (12%)
  • Van occupant17 (2.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant5 (0.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 59 (1.3%)
  • 6 to 1035 (5.2%)
  • 11 to 1556 (8.3%)
  • 16 to 20223 (33%)
  • 21 to 2582 (12%)
  • 26 to 3589 (13%)
  • 36 to 4545 (6.7%)
  • 46 to 5539 (5.8%)
  • 56 to 6537 (5.5%)
  • 66 to 7537 (5.5%)
  • Over 7522 (3.3%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider428 (64%)
  • Passenger165 (24%)
  • Pedestrian81 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car503 (57%)
  • Motorcycle192 (22%)
  • Pedal cycle90 (10%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes40 (4.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes33 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach15 (1.7%)
  • Other vehicle8 (0.9%)
  • Taxi or private hire car4 (0.5%)
  • Minibus2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset West and Taunton in 1981

Map of the last 22 crashes of 1981 in Somerset West and Taunton

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

  • 22 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in Somerset West and Taunton with the most crashes in 1981

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981: 85, including 1 fatal and 27 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset West and Taunton, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA388599127
2ndA3585876222
3rdA3614953217
4thA393861116
5thM5182613
6thA3038151803
7thB3139121214
8thB313561004
9thA37851205
10thA39651104
11thA30274500
12thB31514502
13thB317041203
14thB32223402
15thB30922202
16thB31652202
17thB31902301
18thB30981100
19thB31101101
20thB31401100

Towns in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1981

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981: 180.

Postcode districts in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1981

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981: 150.

Somerset and its former districts in 1981

Somerset recorded 1,833 collisions in 1981, and 29% of them were in the old Somerset West and Taunton district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1981, 1 was fatal and 13 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in other years