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CrashStats

South Lakeland road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 521 road traffic collisions in South Lakeland in 1981, and 741 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 145 were serious.

Collisions were up 5% on 1980 (495), and casualties rose from 709.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 18,124 collisions in South Lakeland.

District council until April 2023, now part of Westmorland and Furness. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1981
521
Up 5% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
741
Up 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
11
2.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
145
28% of collisions

Crash severity in South Lakeland in 1981

2.1% of collisions in South Lakeland in 1981 were fatal and 28% serious, against 2.5% and 24% in South Lakeland from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal112.1%
  • Serious14528%
  • Slight36570%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal111.5%
  • Serious18825%
  • Slight54273%

South Lakeland road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in South Lakeland, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 550 in 1990. 1981 is highlighted, with 521, up 5% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025184231
2024198234
2023222288
2022220283
2021169251
2020172221
2019257350
2018243326
2017293415
2016294379
2015278379
2014302388
2013278401
2012265367
2011284385
2010328458
2009340453
2008388538
2007422604
2006422624
2005422592
2004410593
2003386520
2002435662
2001384561
2000446634
1999493714
1998471662
1997475716
1996475685
1995436636
1994425608
1993454668
1992415603
1991464667
1990550776
1989496707
1988478680
1987497689
1986508722
1985505670
1984466661
1983450663
1982483703
1981521741
1980495709
1979525778

When and where crashes happen in South Lakeland in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday51 (9.8%)
  • Tuesday61 (12%)
  • Wednesday62 (12%)
  • Thursday88 (17%)
  • Friday83 (16%)
  • Saturday86 (17%)
  • Sunday90 (17%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5924 (4.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (0.8%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5939 (7.5%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5994 (18%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59101 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59118 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5984 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5957 (11%)

Collisions by month

  • January34 (6.5%)
  • February31 (6%)
  • March38 (7.3%)
  • April62 (12%)
  • May50 (9.6%)
  • June32 (6.1%)
  • July51 (9.8%)
  • August66 (13%)
  • September41 (7.9%)
  • October50 (9.6%)
  • November40 (7.7%)
  • December26 (5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight400 (77%)
  • Dark, no street lighting78 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit41 (7.9%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.2%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds404 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds72 (14%)
  • Raining with high winds12 (2.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds11 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist8 (1.5%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds5 (1%)
  • Other3 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry309 (59%)
  • Wet or damp180 (35%)
  • Frost or ice18 (3.5%)
  • Snow10 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep4 (0.8%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph181 (35%)
  • 40 mph8 (1.5%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph294 (56%)
  • 70 mph34 (6.5%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.6%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway446 (86%)
  • Dual carriageway42 (8.1%)
  • One way street or slip road25 (4.8%)
  • Roundabout8 (1.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in South Lakeland in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant379 (51%)
  • Motorcyclist179 (24%)
  • Pedestrian85 (11%)
  • Cyclist45 (6.1%)
  • Van occupant21 (2.8%)
  • Minibus occupant19 (2.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1.1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 521 (2.8%)
  • 6 to 1031 (4.2%)
  • 11 to 1554 (7.3%)
  • 16 to 20228 (31%)
  • 21 to 2589 (12%)
  • 26 to 3598 (13%)
  • 36 to 4552 (7%)
  • 46 to 5555 (7.4%)
  • 56 to 6557 (7.7%)
  • 66 to 7536 (4.9%)
  • Over 7520 (2.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider400 (54%)
  • Passenger256 (35%)
  • Pedestrian85 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car555 (64%)
  • Motorcycle170 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle46 (5.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes40 (4.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes36 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach14 (1.6%)
  • Other vehicle8 (0.9%)
  • Minibus4 (0.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for South Lakeland in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in South Lakeland

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in South Lakeland with the most crashes in 1981

The A590 had the most collisions in South Lakeland in 1981: 76, including 24 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in South Lakeland, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA59076117024
2ndA5915169211
3rdA6435805
4thA65263505
5thM6224107
6thA5087202605
7thA592202805
8thA684141915
9thA5074121405
10thA595101504
11thA528491002
12thA68591104
13thB52779912
14thA59371003
15thB527871022
16thB52816813
17thA50925603
18thA607051000
19thB528451112
20thA6833402

Towns in South Lakeland: crashes in 1981

Kendal had the most collisions of any town in South Lakeland in 1981: 68.

Postcode districts in South Lakeland: crashes in 1981

LA12 had the most collisions of any postcode district in South Lakeland in 1981: 135.

Westmorland and Furness and its former districts in 1981

Westmorland and Furness recorded 1,102 collisions in 1981, and 47% of them were in the old South Lakeland district.

Other former districts in Westmorland and Furness

Latest crashes in South Lakeland in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in South Lakeland in 1981, none were fatal and 11 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

South Lakeland road accidents in other years