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CrashStats

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 476 road traffic collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985, and 632 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 131 were serious.

Collisions were down 7% on 1984 (514), and casualties fell from 712.

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 1985
476
Down 7% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
632
Down 11% on 1984
Fatal collisions
9
1.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
131
28% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985

1.9% of collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985 were fatal and 28% serious, against 2.1% and 19% in Somerset West and Taunton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal91.9%
  • Serious13128%
  • Slight33671%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal91.4%
  • Serious16226%
  • Slight46173%

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. 1985 is highlighted, with 476, down 7% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday71 (15%)
  • Tuesday47 (9.9%)
  • Wednesday71 (15%)
  • Thursday74 (16%)
  • Friday87 (18%)
  • Saturday76 (16%)
  • Sunday50 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5926 (5.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (0.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5957 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5958 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5978 (16%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59138 (29%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5972 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5944 (9.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January35 (7.4%)
  • February23 (4.8%)
  • March31 (6.5%)
  • April47 (9.9%)
  • May51 (11%)
  • June33 (6.9%)
  • July39 (8.2%)
  • August47 (9.9%)
  • September43 (9%)
  • October38 (8%)
  • November47 (9.9%)
  • December42 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight346 (73%)
  • Dark, no street lighting68 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit60 (13%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds364 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds63 (13%)
  • Raining with high winds8 (1.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds7 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds6 (1.3%)
  • Other25 (5.3%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.6%)

Road surface

  • Dry303 (64%)
  • Wet or damp159 (33%)
  • Frost or ice7 (1.5%)
  • Snow7 (1.5%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph226 (47%)
  • 40 mph22 (4.6%)
  • 60 mph203 (43%)
  • 70 mph25 (5.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway415 (87%)
  • Dual carriageway39 (8.2%)
  • Roundabout14 (2.9%)
  • One way street or slip road7 (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 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant275 (44%)
  • Motorcyclist160 (25%)
  • Cyclist71 (11%)
  • Pedestrian69 (11%)
  • Van occupant17 (2.7%)
  • Minibus occupant15 (2.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)11 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle occupant5 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant3 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1028 (4.4%)
  • 11 to 1557 (9%)
  • 16 to 20188 (30%)
  • 21 to 2577 (12%)
  • 26 to 3576 (12%)
  • 36 to 4559 (9.3%)
  • 46 to 5554 (8.5%)
  • 56 to 6535 (5.5%)
  • 66 to 7523 (3.6%)
  • Over 7522 (3.5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider392 (62%)
  • Passenger171 (27%)
  • Pedestrian69 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car479 (58%)
  • Motorcycle158 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle72 (8.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes41 (5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes29 (3.5%)
  • Other vehicle16 (1.9%)
  • Bus or coach15 (1.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car8 (1%)
  • Minibus6 (0.7%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset West and Taunton in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 in Somerset West and Taunton

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in Somerset West and Taunton with the most crashes in 1985

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985: 77, including 3 fatal and 19 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset West and Taunton, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA387797319
2ndA3585790115
3rdA3614460111
4thA394255113
5thM5203322
6thB3187131605
7thB317091302
8thA30388904
9thB322451002
10thB31904400
11thB31914603
12thA30273301
13thA3783301
14thA3963402
15thB32223301
16thA30652201
17thB31811301
18thB32231200

Towns in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1985

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985: 168.

Postcode districts in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1985

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985: 129.

Somerset and its former districts in 1985

Somerset recorded 1,719 collisions in 1985, and 28% of them were in the old Somerset West and Taunton district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1985, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in other years