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CrashStats

South Somerset road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 541 road traffic collisions in South Somerset in 1979, and 817 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 21 were fatal and 133 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 20,867 collisions in South Somerset.

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

Collisions in 1979
541
Casualties in 1979
817
Fatal collisions
21
3.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
133
25% of collisions

Crash severity in South Somerset in 1979

3.9% of collisions in South Somerset in 1979 were fatal and 25% serious, against 2.6% and 20% in South Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal213.9%
  • Serious13325%
  • Slight38772%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal242.9%
  • Serious18222%
  • Slight61175%

South Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in South Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 610 in 2002. 1979 is highlighted, with 541.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025242323
2024227345
2023224297
2022197282
2021197258
2020177230
2019260397
2018265382
2017265393
2016310444
2015323477
2014359492
2013332459
2012330475
2011324454
2010356491
2009406566
2008476698
2007535749
2006540748
2005544754
2004527764
2003526725
2002610831
2001555848
2000574879
1999585801
1998571832
1997541775
1996500725
1995543780
1994496709
1993415595
1992470664
1991562810
1990549780
1989545764
1988529772
1987518725
1986551758
1985536754
1984552756
1983580801
1982497701
1981547808
1980558798
1979541817

When and where crashes happen in South Somerset in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday75 (14%)
  • Tuesday63 (12%)
  • Wednesday64 (12%)
  • Thursday72 (13%)
  • Friday101 (19%)
  • Saturday99 (18%)
  • Sunday67 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5927 (5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (0.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5969 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5970 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5999 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59130 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5973 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5971 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January50 (9.2%)
  • February21 (3.9%)
  • March40 (7.4%)
  • April44 (8.1%)
  • May41 (7.6%)
  • June36 (6.7%)
  • July46 (8.5%)
  • August61 (11%)
  • September54 (10%)
  • October49 (9.1%)
  • November44 (8.1%)
  • December55 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight396 (73%)
  • Dark, no street lighting82 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit58 (11%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (0.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds380 (70%)
  • Raining, no high winds66 (12%)
  • Raining with high winds14 (2.6%)
  • Fine with high winds13 (2.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds12 (2.2%)
  • Fog or mist8 (1.5%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.4%)
  • Other42 (7.8%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry311 (57%)
  • Wet or damp180 (33%)
  • Frost or ice36 (6.7%)
  • Snow14 (2.6%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph210 (39%)
  • 40 mph6 (1.1%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph2 (0.4%)
  • 70 mph321 (59%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway490 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway17 (3.1%)
  • One way street or slip road17 (3.1%)
  • Roundabout15 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in South Somerset in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant454 (56%)
  • Motorcyclist181 (22%)
  • Pedestrian74 (9.1%)
  • Cyclist47 (5.8%)
  • Van occupant20 (2.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant15 (1.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)13 (1.6%)
  • Minibus occupant9 (1.1%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 527 (3.3%)
  • 6 to 1045 (5.5%)
  • 11 to 1551 (6.2%)
  • 16 to 20249 (30%)
  • 21 to 25105 (13%)
  • 26 to 35105 (13%)
  • 36 to 4564 (7.8%)
  • 46 to 5558 (7.1%)
  • 56 to 6558 (7.1%)
  • 66 to 7538 (4.7%)
  • Over 7517 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider456 (56%)
  • Passenger287 (35%)
  • Pedestrian74 (9.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car558 (60%)
  • Motorcycle179 (19%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes50 (5.4%)
  • Pedal cycle50 (5.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes34 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach22 (2.4%)
  • Other vehicle12 (1.3%)
  • Minibus11 (1.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car9 (1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for South Somerset in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in South Somerset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in South Somerset with the most crashes in 1979

The A303 had the most collisions in South Somerset in 1979: 71, including 2 fatal and 21 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in South Somerset, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA30371121221
2ndA305680314
3rdA37397138
4thA358263936
5thA3088242606
6thA359213114
7thB3165172417
8thB3151153213
9thA372132105
10thA371121811
11thA378121703
12thA356101001
13thB3153101001
14thA35791402
15thB31684411
16thA30372200
17thB30812300
18thB31101410
19thB31361410
20thB31521201

Towns in South Somerset: crashes in 1979

Yeovil had the most collisions of any town in South Somerset in 1979: 112.

Postcode districts in South Somerset: crashes in 1979

BA22 had the most collisions of any postcode district in South Somerset in 1979: 86.

Somerset and its former districts in 1979

Somerset recorded 1,831 collisions in 1979, and 30% of them were in the old South Somerset district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in South Somerset in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in South Somerset in 1979, 3 were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

South Somerset road accidents in other years