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CrashStats

South Hams road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 296 road traffic collisions in the South Hams in 1979, and 419 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 6 were fatal and 124 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 12,165 collisions in the South Hams.

Collisions in 1979
296
Casualties in 1979
419
Fatal collisions
6
2% of collisions
Serious collisions
124
42% of collisions

Crash severity in the South Hams in 1979

2% of collisions in the South Hams in 1979 were fatal and 42% serious, against 1.7% and 20% in the South Hams from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal62%
  • Serious12442%
  • Slight16656%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal61.4%
  • Serious16339%
  • Slight25060%

South Hams road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the South Hams, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 363 in 1986. 1979 is highlighted, with 296.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025158217
2024146183
2023141177
2022134181
2021139194
2020122163
2019156265
2018179245
2017199274
2016217295
2015211293
2014233352
2013210280
2012243358
2011211309
2010220332
2009253345
2008283404
2007322446
2006344456
2005333450
2004303371
2003286387
2002302417
2001284410
2000319438
1999285379
1998286375
1997317432
1996332449
1995308415
1994239323
1993282383
1992254353
1991258373
1990275364
1989278448
1988300404
1987264347
1986363529
1985339473
1984294428
1983270385
1982325472
1981327500
1980325450
1979296419

When and where crashes happen in the South Hams in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday39 (13%)
  • Tuesday49 (17%)
  • Wednesday43 (15%)
  • Thursday34 (11%)
  • Friday39 (13%)
  • Saturday50 (17%)
  • Sunday42 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5913 (4.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5921 (7.1%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5948 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5953 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5979 (27%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5940 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5938 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January19 (6.4%)
  • February10 (3.4%)
  • March12 (4.1%)
  • April28 (9.5%)
  • May24 (8.1%)
  • June25 (8.4%)
  • July36 (12%)
  • August43 (15%)
  • September34 (11%)
  • October22 (7.4%)
  • November22 (7.4%)
  • December21 (7.1%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight224 (76%)
  • Dark, no street lighting57 (19%)
  • Dark, street lights lit13 (4.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds214 (72%)
  • Raining, no high winds50 (17%)
  • Fog or mist9 (3%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (3%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (1.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other7 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry171 (58%)
  • Wet or damp104 (35%)
  • Frost or ice17 (5.7%)
  • Snow3 (1%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph98 (33%)
  • 40 mph7 (2.4%)
  • 50 mph8 (2.7%)
  • 60 mph168 (57%)
  • 70 mph15 (5.1%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway263 (89%)
  • Dual carriageway16 (5.4%)
  • One way street or slip road13 (4.4%)
  • Roundabout3 (1%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the South Hams in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant250 (60%)
  • Motorcyclist110 (26%)
  • Pedestrian30 (7.2%)
  • Cyclist15 (3.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant6 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.7%)
  • Van occupant2 (0.5%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (1.9%)
  • 6 to 1015 (3.6%)
  • 11 to 1529 (6.9%)
  • 16 to 20157 (37%)
  • 21 to 2549 (12%)
  • 26 to 3562 (15%)
  • 36 to 4541 (9.8%)
  • 46 to 5525 (6%)
  • 56 to 6520 (4.8%)
  • 66 to 759 (2.1%)
  • Over 754 (1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider250 (60%)
  • Passenger139 (33%)
  • Pedestrian30 (7.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car318 (64%)
  • Motorcycle110 (22%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes23 (4.6%)
  • Pedal cycle15 (3%)
  • Other vehicle14 (2.8%)
  • Bus or coach8 (1.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes6 (1.2%)
  • Minibus3 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the South Hams in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in the South Hams

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

How the South Hams ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the South Hams had fewer road collisions than 316 of them in 1979.

Collisions
317th
of 349 areas, highest first
Casualties
306th
of 349 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
305th
of 349 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
239th
of 349 areas, highest first

Roads in the South Hams with the most crashes in 1979

The A379 had the most collisions in the South Hams in 1979: 53, including 1 fatal and 23 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the South Hams, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3795380123
2ndA3812947113
3rdA385182306
4thA38142514
5thA384142309
6thB3207111605
7thB3210111416
8thB3213101402
9thB32059904
10thB33926804
11thB31965602
12thA3743301
13thB31973602
14thA30222201
15thB33572501
16thA3831101
17thA3861100
18thB11100
19thB31861101
20thB32041100

Towns in the South Hams: crashes in 1979

Dartmouth had the most collisions of any town in the South Hams in 1979: 21.

Postcode districts in the South Hams: crashes in 1979

TQ9 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the South Hams in 1979: 71.

Latest crashes in the South Hams in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in the South Hams in 1979, 1 was fatal and 11 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

South Hams road accidents in other years