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CrashStats

South Hams road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 327 road traffic collisions in the South Hams in 1981, and 500 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 13 were fatal and 138 were serious.

Collisions were up 1% on 1980 (325), and casualties rose from 450.

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

Collisions in 1981
327
Up 1% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
500
Up 11% on 1980
Fatal collisions
13
4% of collisions
Serious collisions
138
42% of collisions

Crash severity in the South Hams in 1981

4% of collisions in the South Hams in 1981 were fatal and 42% serious, against 1.7% and 20% in the South Hams from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal134%
  • Serious13842%
  • Slight17654%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal142.8%
  • Serious17936%
  • Slight30761%

South Hams road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in the South Hams, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 363 in 1986. 1981 is highlighted, with 327, up 1% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday39 (12%)
  • Tuesday36 (11%)
  • Wednesday40 (12%)
  • Thursday32 (9.8%)
  • Friday69 (21%)
  • Saturday53 (16%)
  • Sunday58 (18%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5916 (4.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5935 (11%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5944 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5964 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5978 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5936 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5948 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January14 (4.3%)
  • February31 (9.5%)
  • March14 (4.3%)
  • April21 (6.4%)
  • May36 (11%)
  • June39 (12%)
  • July36 (11%)
  • August31 (9.5%)
  • September29 (8.9%)
  • October34 (10%)
  • November18 (5.5%)
  • December24 (7.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight239 (73%)
  • Dark, no street lighting77 (24%)
  • Dark, street lights lit10 (3.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds227 (69%)
  • Raining, no high winds63 (19%)
  • Raining with high winds16 (4.9%)
  • Fog or mist7 (2.1%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other7 (2.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry176 (54%)
  • Wet or damp143 (44%)
  • Frost or ice7 (2.1%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 30 mph74 (23%)
  • 40 mph14 (4.3%)
  • 50 mph9 (2.8%)
  • 60 mph202 (62%)
  • 70 mph27 (8.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway284 (87%)
  • Dual carriageway32 (9.8%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (3.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in the South Hams in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant278 (56%)
  • Motorcyclist130 (26%)
  • Pedestrian39 (7.8%)
  • Cyclist25 (5%)
  • Minibus occupant10 (2%)
  • Van occupant9 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant7 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 512 (2.4%)
  • 6 to 1012 (2.4%)
  • 11 to 1527 (5.4%)
  • 16 to 20173 (35%)
  • 21 to 2561 (12%)
  • 26 to 3586 (17%)
  • 36 to 4534 (6.8%)
  • 46 to 5531 (6.2%)
  • 56 to 6528 (5.6%)
  • 66 to 7524 (4.8%)
  • Over 7512 (2.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider290 (58%)
  • Passenger171 (34%)
  • Pedestrian39 (7.8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car343 (63%)
  • Motorcycle119 (22%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (4.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes23 (4.3%)
  • Minibus11 (2%)
  • Bus or coach8 (1.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes7 (1.3%)
  • Other vehicle5 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for the South Hams in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 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 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, the South Hams had fewer road collisions than 295 of them in 1981.

Collisions
296th
of 349 areas, highest first
Casualties
273rd
of 349 areas, highest first
Fatal collisions
157th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
196th
of 349 areas, highest first

Roads in the South Hams with the most crashes in 1981

The A379 had the most collisions in the South Hams in 1981: 56, including 3 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in the South Hams, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3795687322
2ndA3813756216
3rdA3853455017
4thA38304329
5thB3207111606
6thA3849917
7thB321391714
8thB321081604
9thB320561002
10thB31964402
11thB33923502
12thB31862311
13thB32042501
14thA3861301
15thB31971501

Towns in the South Hams: crashes in 1981

Totnes had the most collisions of any town in the South Hams in 1981: 21.

Postcode districts in the South Hams: crashes in 1981

TQ9 had the most collisions of any postcode district in the South Hams in 1981: 97.

Latest crashes in the South Hams in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in the South Hams in 1981, 1 was fatal and 12 were serious. The last was on 29 December 1981.

Severity

South Hams road accidents in other years