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CrashStats

Somerset road accidents in 1988: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,789 road traffic collisions in Somerset in 1988, and 2,480 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 50 were fatal and 457 were serious.

Collisions were up 4% on 1987 (1,726), and casualties rose from 2,377.

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

Collisions in 1988
1,789
Up 4% on 1987
Casualties in 1988
2,480
Up 4% on 1987
Fatal collisions
50
2.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
457
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset in 1988

2.8% of collisions in Somerset in 1988 were fatal and 26% serious, against 2.5% and 20% in Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal502.8%
  • Serious45726%
  • Slight1,28272%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal532.1%
  • Serious55222%
  • Slight1,87576%

Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,888 in 2005. 1988 is highlighted, with 1,789, up 4% on 1987.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1988
  • 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 1988

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday213 (12%)
  • Tuesday238 (13%)
  • Wednesday249 (14%)
  • Thursday250 (14%)
  • Friday313 (17%)
  • Saturday285 (16%)
  • Sunday241 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5961 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5927 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59226 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59260 (15%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59320 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59430 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59274 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59191 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January131 (7.3%)
  • February134 (7.5%)
  • March119 (6.7%)
  • April131 (7.3%)
  • May151 (8.4%)
  • June149 (8.3%)
  • July176 (9.8%)
  • August162 (9.1%)
  • September156 (8.7%)
  • October169 (9.4%)
  • November152 (8.5%)
  • December159 (8.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,318 (74%)
  • Dark, street lights lit234 (13%)
  • Dark, no street lighting222 (12%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown11 (0.6%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,400 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds210 (12%)
  • Fine with high winds45 (2.5%)
  • Raining with high winds35 (2%)
  • Fog or mist15 (0.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds2 (0.1%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.1%)
  • Other73 (4.1%)
  • Not recorded8 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,183 (66%)
  • Wet or damp570 (32%)
  • Frost or ice28 (1.6%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep5 (0.3%)
  • Snow3 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph772 (43%)
  • 40 mph61 (3.4%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph873 (49%)
  • 70 mph78 (4.4%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,564 (87%)
  • Dual carriageway131 (7.3%)
  • Roundabout55 (3.1%)
  • One way street or slip road33 (1.8%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset in 1988

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,374 (55%)
  • Motorcyclist466 (19%)
  • Pedestrian247 (10%)
  • Cyclist216 (8.7%)
  • Van occupant53 (2.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)43 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant29 (1.2%)
  • Minibus occupant28 (1.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant16 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant8 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 553 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1076 (3.1%)
  • 11 to 15151 (6.1%)
  • 16 to 20656 (26%)
  • 21 to 25393 (16%)
  • 26 to 35375 (15%)
  • 36 to 45236 (9.5%)
  • 46 to 55185 (7.5%)
  • 56 to 65158 (6.4%)
  • 66 to 75112 (4.5%)
  • Over 7585 (3.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,508 (61%)
  • Passenger725 (29%)
  • Pedestrian247 (10%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,144 (66%)
  • Motorcycle466 (14%)
  • Pedal cycle221 (6.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes151 (4.7%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes129 (4%)
  • Bus or coach45 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle42 (1.3%)
  • Minibus25 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car16 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset in 1988

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1988 in Somerset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Somerset ranked among 349 areas in 1988

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Somerset had the 16th most road collisions in 1988.

Collisions
16th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
13th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
6th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
8th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Somerset with the most crashes in 1988

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset in 1988: 152, including 4 fatal and 32 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset, 1988
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38152210432
2ndA39151228747
3rdA358105145227
4thA36195118528
5thA30379126618
6thA3070106218
7thA3769123425
8thA3715984211
9thM54575114
10thB31394257210
11thB31513044116
12thA372274019
13thA362233008
14thA359183306
15thA36132205
16thB3165122403
17thB3187121402
18thA356111922
19thA3088101203
20thA378101712

Towns in Somerset: crashes in 1988

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset in 1988: 182.

Postcode districts in Somerset: crashes in 1988

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset in 1988: 157.

Former districts in Somerset in 1988

Somerset now covers 6 former district councils, abolished in April 2019 and April 2023. Of these, South Somerset had the most collisions in 1988: 529.

Latest crashes in Somerset in 1988

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset in 1988, none were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1988.

Severity

Somerset road accidents in other years