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CrashStats

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 466 road traffic collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997, and 633 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 55 were serious.

Collisions were up 3% on 1996 (454), and casualties rose from 606.

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 1997
466
Up 3% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
633
Up 4% on 1996
Fatal collisions
11
2.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
55
12% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997

2.4% of collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997 were fatal and 12% serious, against 2.1% and 19% in Somerset West and Taunton from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal112.4%
  • Serious5512%
  • Slight40086%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal121.9%
  • Serious6310%
  • Slight55888%

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. 1997 is highlighted, with 466, up 3% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday85 (18%)
  • Tuesday66 (14%)
  • Wednesday68 (15%)
  • Thursday72 (15%)
  • Friday78 (17%)
  • Saturday56 (12%)
  • Sunday41 (8.8%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:598 (1.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:593 (0.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5964 (14%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5979 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5989 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59114 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5976 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5933 (7.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January34 (7.3%)
  • February40 (8.6%)
  • March25 (5.4%)
  • April33 (7.1%)
  • May42 (9%)
  • June43 (9.2%)
  • July37 (7.9%)
  • August47 (10%)
  • September37 (7.9%)
  • October47 (10%)
  • November41 (8.8%)
  • December40 (8.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight359 (77%)
  • Dark, street lights lit62 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting36 (7.7%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit7 (1.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds324 (70%)
  • Raining, no high winds75 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (1.7%)
  • Raining with high winds7 (1.5%)
  • Fog or mist5 (1.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other34 (7.3%)
  • Not recorded10 (2.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry291 (62%)
  • Wet or damp173 (37%)
  • Frost or ice2 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph2 (0.4%)
  • 30 mph214 (46%)
  • 40 mph28 (6%)
  • 50 mph16 (3.4%)
  • 60 mph164 (35%)
  • 70 mph42 (9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway363 (78%)
  • Dual carriageway66 (14%)
  • Roundabout20 (4.3%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded6 (1.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant440 (70%)
  • Cyclist66 (10%)
  • Pedestrian62 (9.8%)
  • Motorcyclist48 (7.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)5 (0.8%)
  • Van occupant5 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant4 (0.6%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 517 (2.7%)
  • 6 to 1034 (5.4%)
  • 11 to 1541 (6.5%)
  • 16 to 20109 (17%)
  • 21 to 2573 (12%)
  • 26 to 35109 (17%)
  • 36 to 4578 (12%)
  • 46 to 5570 (11%)
  • 56 to 6546 (7.3%)
  • 66 to 7534 (5.4%)
  • Over 7521 (3.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider383 (61%)
  • Passenger188 (30%)
  • Pedestrian62 (9.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car675 (77%)
  • Pedal cycle72 (8.2%)
  • Motorcycle51 (5.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes26 (3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes24 (2.7%)
  • Other vehicle13 (1.5%)
  • Bus or coach11 (1.3%)
  • Minibus4 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset West and Taunton in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 1997

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997: 73, including 2 fatal and 7 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset West and Taunton, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38739627
2ndA3586894215
3rdM5418815
4thA39223221
5thB3187111501
6thB3227111503
7thA30277700
8thA36161112
9thB31705500
10thA30384400
11thA32594611
12thB32243410
13thA3782200
14thA3962200
15thA30651100
16thA351100
17thA3881100
18thB30271100
19thB31881100
20thB31901100

Towns in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1997

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997: 160.

Postcode districts in Somerset West and Taunton: crashes in 1997

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997: 148.

Somerset and its former districts in 1997

Somerset recorded 1,839 collisions in 1997, and 25% of them were in the old Somerset West and Taunton district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset West and Taunton in 1997, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1997.

Severity

Somerset West and Taunton road accidents in other years