Serious
Car crash on an unclassified road in Somerset, 31 Dec 1988, 22:20
- 1 vehicle, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GO02233
Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in 1988: crash map and statistics
Police recorded 502 road traffic collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988, and 653 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 109 were serious.
Collisions were up 2% on 1987 (493), and casualties rose from 651.
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 1988
- 502
- Up 2% on 1987
- Casualties in 1988
- 653
- Level with 1987
- Fatal collisions
- 9
- 1.8% of collisions
- Serious collisions
- 109
- 22% of collisions
Crash severity in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988
1.8% of collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988 were fatal and 22% serious, against 2.1% and 19% in Somerset West and Taunton from 1979 to 2025.
Collisions by worst injury
- Fatal91.8%
- Serious10922%
- Slight38476%
People hurt, by injury
- Fatal101.5%
- Serious12619%
- Slight51779%
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. 1988 is highlighted, with 502, up 2% on 1987.
- Collisions
- Collisions in 1988
- Casualties
Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data
View as a tableHide the table
| Year | Collisions | Casualties |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 212 | 297 |
| 2024 | 217 | 303 |
| 2023 | 172 | 253 |
| 2022 | 176 | 242 |
| 2021 | 194 | 273 |
| 2020 | 131 | 168 |
| 2019 | 278 | 373 |
| 2018 | 263 | 369 |
| 2017 | 298 | 458 |
| 2016 | 299 | 443 |
| 2015 | 268 | 373 |
| 2014 | 323 | 434 |
| 2013 | 325 | 447 |
| 2012 | 275 | 383 |
| 2011 | 339 | 525 |
| 2010 | 363 | 497 |
| 2009 | 367 | 538 |
| 2008 | 437 | 619 |
| 2007 | 483 | 677 |
| 2006 | 504 | 706 |
| 2005 | 518 | 731 |
| 2004 | 479 | 621 |
| 2003 | 481 | 649 |
| 2002 | 490 | 671 |
| 2001 | 542 | 735 |
| 2000 | 529 | 721 |
| 1999 | 453 | 623 |
| 1998 | 500 | 665 |
| 1997 | 466 | 633 |
| 1996 | 454 | 606 |
| 1995 | 456 | 647 |
| 1994 | 465 | 636 |
| 1993 | 395 | 547 |
| 1992 | 474 | 632 |
| 1991 | 434 | 587 |
| 1990 | 479 | 594 |
| 1989 | 465 | 617 |
| 1988 | 502 | 653 |
| 1987 | 493 | 651 |
| 1986 | 456 | 618 |
| 1985 | 476 | 632 |
| 1984 | 514 | 712 |
| 1983 | 498 | 658 |
| 1982 | 466 | 638 |
| 1981 | 531 | 674 |
| 1980 | 453 | 626 |
| 1979 | 475 | 637 |
When and where crashes happen in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988
Collisions by day of the week
- Monday72 (14%)
- Tuesday72 (14%)
- Wednesday63 (13%)
- Thursday64 (13%)
- Friday82 (16%)
- Saturday77 (15%)
- Sunday72 (14%)
Collisions by time of day
- 00:00 to 02:5922 (4.4%)
- 03:00 to 05:597 (1.4%)
- 06:00 to 08:5963 (13%)
- 09:00 to 11:5985 (17%)
- 12:00 to 14:5977 (15%)
- 15:00 to 17:59115 (23%)
- 18:00 to 20:5977 (15%)
- 21:00 to 23:5956 (11%)
Collisions by month
- January36 (7.2%)
- February34 (6.8%)
- March29 (5.8%)
- April40 (8%)
- May40 (8%)
- June51 (10%)
- July42 (8.4%)
- August45 (9%)
- September36 (7.2%)
- October60 (12%)
- November39 (7.8%)
- December50 (10%)
Light conditions
- Daylight365 (73%)
- Dark, street lights lit78 (16%)
- Dark, no street lighting55 (11%)
- Dark, lighting unknown4 (0.8%)
Weather at the time
- Fine, no high winds392 (78%)
- Raining, no high winds57 (11%)
- Raining with high winds14 (2.8%)
- Fine with high winds9 (1.8%)
- Fog or mist3 (0.6%)
- Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
- Other23 (4.6%)
- Not recorded3 (0.6%)
Road surface
- Dry337 (67%)
- Wet or damp158 (31%)
- Frost or ice4 (0.8%)
- Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.4%)
- Snow1 (0.2%)
Speed limit at the scene
- 30 mph230 (46%)
- 40 mph21 (4.2%)
- 60 mph214 (43%)
- 70 mph36 (7.2%)
- Not recorded1 (0.2%)
Type of road
- Single carriageway424 (84%)
- Dual carriageway54 (11%)
- One way street or slip road12 (2.4%)
- Roundabout9 (1.8%)
- Not recorded3 (0.6%)
Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data
Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988
Casualties by road user
- Car occupant343 (53%)
- Motorcyclist129 (20%)
- Cyclist81 (12%)
- Pedestrian64 (9.8%)
- Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)10 (1.5%)
- Bus or coach occupant9 (1.4%)
- Minibus occupant7 (1.1%)
- Van occupant7 (1.1%)
- Other vehicle occupant2 (0.3%)
- Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)
Casualties by age
- 0 to 512 (1.8%)
- 6 to 1022 (3.4%)
- 11 to 1536 (5.5%)
- 16 to 20186 (28%)
- 21 to 2588 (13%)
- 26 to 3592 (14%)
- 36 to 4569 (11%)
- 46 to 5543 (6.6%)
- 56 to 6552 (8%)
- 66 to 7535 (5.4%)
- Over 7518 (2.8%)
Drivers, passengers and pedestrians
- Driver or rider426 (65%)
- Passenger163 (25%)
- Pedestrian64 (9.8%)
Vehicles involved
- Car591 (66%)
- Motorcycle130 (14%)
- Pedal cycle84 (9.4%)
- Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes33 (3.7%)
- Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes23 (2.6%)
- Bus or coach15 (1.7%)
- Minibus10 (1.1%)
- Other vehicle8 (0.9%)
- Taxi or private hire car4 (0.4%)
Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data
Crash map for Somerset West and Taunton in 1988
Map of the last 24 crashes of 1988 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 1988
The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988: 81, including 19 serious.
| Rank | Road | Collisions | Casualties | Fatal | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | A38 | 81 | 94 | 0 | 19 |
| 2nd | A358 | 72 | 99 | 0 | 18 |
| 3rd | A361 | 43 | 50 | 3 | 10 |
| 4th | A39 | 42 | 69 | 2 | 14 |
| 5th | M5 | 21 | 34 | 0 | 5 |
| 6th | B3187 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 7th | A3038 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 8th | B3170 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 9th | A3065 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 10th | A3027 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 11th | A378 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| 12th | B3224 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 13th | A396 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 14th | B3190 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 15th | B3191 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 16th | B3188 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 17th | B3222 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18th | B3223 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Towns in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1988
Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988: 182.
Postcode districts in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1988
TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988: 157.
Somerset and its former districts in 1988
Somerset recorded 1,789 collisions in 1988, 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 1988
Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1988, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1988.
Severity
- Slight
Car crash on an unclassified road in Somerset, 31 Dec 1988, 03:15
- 1 vehicle, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02208
- Slight
Car crash on the A38 in Somerset, 30 Dec 1988, 15:30
- A car and a bicycle
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02210
- Serious
Motorcycle crash on the A38 in Somerset, 29 Dec 1988, 20:40
- A motorcycle and a car
- 2 vehicles, 2 casualties
Ref 198852GW02217
- Slight
Car crash on the B3170 in Somerset, 29 Dec 1988, 11:31
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GW02211
- Serious
Car crash on the A358 in Somerset, 27 Dec 1988, 15:20
- 4 cars
- 4 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GO02190
- Slight
Car crash on the A39 in Somerset, 27 Dec 1988, 10:15
- A car and a bicycle
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GM02232
- Slight
Car crash on the B3170 in Somerset, 25 Dec 1988, 01:10
- 1 vehicle, 4 casualties
Ref 198852GO02212
- Serious
Car crash on the A358 in Somerset, 22 Dec 1988, 20:00
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 2 casualties
Ref 198852GO02228
- Slight
Car crash on the A38 in Somerset, 21 Dec 1988, 17:50
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02188
- Slight
Car crash on the M5 in Somerset, 21 Dec 1988, 08:55
- A car and a van
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02183
- Slight
Bicycle crash on the A38 in Somerset, 21 Dec 1988, 08:45
- A bicycle and a car
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02161
- Serious
Car crash on the A38 in Somerset, 20 Dec 1988, 19:34
- A car and a motorcycle
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02160
- Slight
Car crash on the A38 in Somerset, 20 Dec 1988, 16:35
- 1 vehicle, 2 casualties
Ref 198852GT02147
- Slight
Bicycle crash on the A358 in Somerset, 20 Dec 1988, 16:27
- A bicycle and a car
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02149
- Serious
Lorry crash on the A3027 in Somerset, 20 Dec 1988, 10:44
- 1 vehicle, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02186
- Slight
Car crash on the A38 in Somerset, 19 Dec 1988, 08:20
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GW02155
- Slight
Car crash on the A361 in Somerset, 17 Dec 1988, 16:22
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02121
- Slight
Car crash on the A358 in Somerset, 17 Dec 1988, 14:45
- 2 cars
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GI02139
- Slight
Car crash on an unclassified road in Somerset, 16 Dec 1988, 22:55
- A car and a motorcycle
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GT02118
- Slight
Car crash on the A358 in Somerset, 14 Dec 1988, 09:20
- 3 cars
- 3 vehicles, 3 casualties
Ref 198852GO02120
- Slight
Car crash on the A39 in Somerset, 13 Dec 1988, 22:45
- 1 vehicle, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GR02169
- Serious
Motorcycle crash on the A39 in Somerset, 13 Dec 1988, 17:38
- A motorcycle and a car
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GM02170
- Slight
Bus crash on an unclassified road in Somerset, 13 Dec 1988, 16:15
- A bus or coach and a car
- 2 vehicles, 1 casualty
Ref 198852GO02144