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CrashStats

Somerset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,839 road traffic collisions in Somerset in 1997, and 2,550 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 38 were fatal and 267 were serious.

Collisions were up 8% on 1996 (1,695), and casualties rose from 2,370.

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

Collisions in 1997
1,839
Up 8% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
2,550
Up 8% on 1996
Fatal collisions
38
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
267
15% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset in 1997

2.1% of collisions in Somerset in 1997 were fatal and 15% serious, against 2.5% and 20% in Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal382.1%
  • Serious26715%
  • Slight1,53483%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal411.6%
  • Serious31612%
  • Slight2,19386%

Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,888 in 2005. 1997 is highlighted, with 1,839, up 8% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday263 (14%)
  • Tuesday278 (15%)
  • Wednesday251 (14%)
  • Thursday259 (14%)
  • Friday294 (16%)
  • Saturday281 (15%)
  • Sunday213 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5951 (2.8%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5923 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59239 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59306 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59324 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59488 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59277 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59131 (7.1%)

Collisions by month

  • January129 (7%)
  • February133 (7.2%)
  • March122 (6.6%)
  • April149 (8.1%)
  • May157 (8.5%)
  • June151 (8.2%)
  • July169 (9.2%)
  • August176 (9.6%)
  • September156 (8.5%)
  • October173 (9.4%)
  • November179 (9.7%)
  • December145 (7.9%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,415 (77%)
  • Dark, no street lighting208 (11%)
  • Dark, street lights lit182 (9.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown18 (1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit16 (0.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,302 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds288 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds34 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist34 (1.8%)
  • Raining with high winds30 (1.6%)
  • Snowing with high winds10 (0.5%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (0.3%)
  • Other114 (6.2%)
  • Not recorded21 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,122 (61%)
  • Wet or damp689 (37%)
  • Frost or ice23 (1.3%)
  • Snow3 (0.2%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph5 (0.3%)
  • 30 mph753 (41%)
  • 40 mph96 (5.2%)
  • 50 mph41 (2.2%)
  • 60 mph821 (45%)
  • 70 mph123 (6.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,504 (82%)
  • Dual carriageway187 (10%)
  • Roundabout99 (5.4%)
  • One way street or slip road30 (1.6%)
  • Not recorded19 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,793 (70%)
  • Pedestrian223 (8.7%)
  • Cyclist211 (8.3%)
  • Motorcyclist184 (7.2%)
  • Van occupant42 (1.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)32 (1.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant25 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant20 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant15 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant5 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 568 (2.7%)
  • 6 to 10125 (4.9%)
  • 11 to 15154 (6%)
  • 16 to 20391 (15%)
  • 21 to 25285 (11%)
  • 26 to 35503 (20%)
  • 36 to 45338 (13%)
  • 46 to 55288 (11%)
  • 56 to 65176 (6.9%)
  • 66 to 75116 (4.5%)
  • Over 75104 (4.1%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,573 (62%)
  • Passenger754 (30%)
  • Pedestrian223 (8.7%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car2,662 (77%)
  • Pedal cycle224 (6.5%)
  • Motorcycle182 (5.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes121 (3.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes115 (3.3%)
  • Other vehicle77 (2.2%)
  • Bus or coach34 (1%)
  • Minibus16 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car7 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 351 areas in 1997

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Somerset had the 14th most road collisions in 1997.

Collisions
14th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
13th
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
6th
highest of 351 areas
Serious collisions
12th
highest of 351 areas

Roads in Somerset with the most crashes in 1997

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset in 1997: 154, including 4 fatal and 14 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38154204414
2ndA39145202416
3rdA35895132620
4thM594174315
5thA30372109017
6thA36167106216
7thA37548719
8thA30517114
9thA3714564210
10thB3139334215
11thA372254113
12thB3151233503
13thA359152313
14thA362122313
15thB3187121601
16thA36111300
17thB3227111503
18thA356102112
19thB308191703
20thB313591602

Towns in Somerset: crashes in 1997

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset in 1997: 161.

Postcode districts in Somerset: crashes in 1997

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset in 1997: 149.

Former districts in Somerset in 1997

Somerset now covers 6 former district councils, abolished in April 2019 and April 2023. Of these, South Somerset had the most collisions in 1997: 541.

Latest crashes in Somerset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset in 1997, none were fatal and 3 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

Somerset road accidents in other years