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CrashStats

Somerset road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,831 road traffic collisions in Somerset in 1979, and 2,569 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 61 were fatal and 606 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 70,092 collisions in Somerset.

Collisions in 1979
1,831
Casualties in 1979
2,569
Fatal collisions
61
3.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
606
33% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset in 1979

3.3% of collisions in Somerset in 1979 were fatal and 33% serious, against 2.5% and 20% in Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal613.3%
  • Serious60633%
  • Slight1,16464%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal712.8%
  • Serious74529%
  • Slight1,75368%

Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,888 in 2005. 1979 is highlighted, with 1,831.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20258561,148
20248641,215
20237911,172
20227391,030
2021735996
2020637834
20199941,384
20189731,377
20171,0001,464
20161,0531,552
20151,0221,455
20141,1621,623
20131,1571,608
20121,0751,529
20111,1521,652
20101,2721,792
20091,4142,019
20081,5602,228
20071,7552,479
20061,8372,549
20051,8882,637
20041,7572,448
20031,7592,452
20021,8842,593
20011,8572,650
20001,8662,709
19991,8192,514
19981,8802,656
19971,8392,550
19961,6952,370
19951,7372,485
19941,6972,398
19931,5302,155
19921,6462,313
19911,7242,411
19901,8712,540
19891,7862,477
19881,7892,480
19871,7262,377
19861,7522,383
19851,7192,365
19841,8022,459
19831,7662,414
19821,7982,483
19811,8332,531
19801,7932,502
19791,8312,569

When and where crashes happen in Somerset in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday245 (13%)
  • Tuesday224 (12%)
  • Wednesday243 (13%)
  • Thursday249 (14%)
  • Friday334 (18%)
  • Saturday301 (16%)
  • Sunday235 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59113 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5917 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59213 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59237 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59316 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59457 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59245 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59233 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January144 (7.9%)
  • February113 (6.2%)
  • March130 (7.1%)
  • April151 (8.2%)
  • May148 (8.1%)
  • June143 (7.8%)
  • July173 (9.4%)
  • August182 (9.9%)
  • September154 (8.4%)
  • October169 (9.2%)
  • November161 (8.8%)
  • December163 (8.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,307 (71%)
  • Dark, no street lighting292 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit215 (12%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit12 (0.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,311 (72%)
  • Raining, no high winds224 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds50 (2.7%)
  • Raining with high winds47 (2.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds33 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist19 (1%)
  • Snowing with high winds16 (0.9%)
  • Other121 (6.6%)
  • Not recorded10 (0.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,096 (60%)
  • Wet or damp573 (31%)
  • Frost or ice114 (6.2%)
  • Snow47 (2.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph777 (42%)
  • 40 mph39 (2.1%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.1%)
  • 60 mph2 (0.1%)
  • 70 mph1,009 (55%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,664 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway89 (4.9%)
  • Roundabout37 (2%)
  • One way street or slip road36 (2%)
  • Not recorded5 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,304 (51%)
  • Motorcyclist590 (23%)
  • Pedestrian272 (11%)
  • Cyclist227 (8.8%)
  • Van occupant74 (2.9%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)44 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant28 (1.1%)
  • Minibus occupant14 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant11 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant5 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 555 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 10113 (4.4%)
  • 11 to 15177 (6.9%)
  • 16 to 20780 (30%)
  • 21 to 25311 (12%)
  • 26 to 35379 (15%)
  • 36 to 45207 (8.1%)
  • 46 to 55174 (6.8%)
  • 56 to 65192 (7.5%)
  • 66 to 75124 (4.8%)
  • Over 7557 (2.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,544 (60%)
  • Passenger753 (29%)
  • Pedestrian272 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,802 (58%)
  • Motorcycle599 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle232 (7.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes174 (5.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes154 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach56 (1.8%)
  • Other vehicle54 (1.7%)
  • Minibus25 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car17 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset in 1979

Map of the last 23 crashes of 1979 in Somerset

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

  • 23 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Somerset ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Somerset had the 18th most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
18th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
11th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
7th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
10th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Somerset with the most crashes in 1979

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset in 1979: 158, including 3 fatal and 44 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38158211344
2ndA39139199252
3rdA361117144835
4thA30372124221
5thA35866101623
6thA3766124425
7thA3716589326
8thA305680314
9thB31394257112
10thA3723749212
11thM53755215
12thA3623044112
13thB31512949111
14thA3088242606
15thA359243715
16thB3165182518
17thA3038161803
18thA378162414
19thA36152005
20thB3135132908

Towns in Somerset: crashes in 1979

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset in 1979: 165.

Postcode districts in Somerset: crashes in 1979

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset in 1979: 131.

Former districts in Somerset in 1979

Somerset now covers 6 former district councils, abolished in April 2019 and April 2023. Of these, South Somerset had the most collisions in 1979: 541.

Latest crashes in Somerset in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset in 1979, 2 were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

Somerset road accidents in other years