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CrashStats

South Somerset road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 547 road traffic collisions in South Somerset in 1981, and 808 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 28 were fatal and 177 were serious.

Collisions were down 2% on 1980 (558), and casualties rose from 798.

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 1981
547
Down 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
808
Up 1% on 1980
Fatal collisions
28
5.1% of collisions
Serious collisions
177
32% of collisions

Crash severity in South Somerset in 1981

5.1% of collisions in South Somerset in 1981 were fatal and 32% serious, against 2.6% and 20% in South Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal285.1%
  • Serious17732%
  • Slight34263%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal334.1%
  • Serious23028%
  • Slight54567%

South Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in South Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 610 in 2002. 1981 is highlighted, with 547, down 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday53 (9.7%)
  • Tuesday74 (14%)
  • Wednesday88 (16%)
  • Thursday67 (12%)
  • Friday101 (18%)
  • Saturday95 (17%)
  • Sunday69 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5934 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1.3%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5954 (9.9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5974 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5996 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59130 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5984 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5968 (12%)

Collisions by month

  • January28 (5.1%)
  • February23 (4.2%)
  • March42 (7.7%)
  • April31 (5.7%)
  • May46 (8.4%)
  • June61 (11%)
  • July58 (11%)
  • August57 (10%)
  • September53 (9.7%)
  • October58 (11%)
  • November45 (8.2%)
  • December45 (8.2%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight396 (72%)
  • Dark, no street lighting90 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit56 (10%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds429 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds56 (10%)
  • Raining with high winds11 (2%)
  • Fine with high winds10 (1.8%)
  • Fog or mist6 (1.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds4 (0.7%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.2%)
  • Other30 (5.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry370 (68%)
  • Wet or damp165 (30%)
  • Frost or ice6 (1.1%)
  • Snow5 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph213 (39%)
  • 40 mph9 (1.6%)
  • 50 mph3 (0.5%)
  • 60 mph309 (56%)
  • 70 mph13 (2.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway499 (91%)
  • Dual carriageway21 (3.8%)
  • Roundabout14 (2.6%)
  • One way street or slip road13 (2.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in South Somerset in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant437 (54%)
  • Motorcyclist203 (25%)
  • Pedestrian74 (9.2%)
  • Cyclist52 (6.4%)
  • Van occupant18 (2.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)11 (1.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant7 (0.9%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 520 (2.5%)
  • 6 to 1027 (3.3%)
  • 11 to 1540 (5%)
  • 16 to 20270 (33%)
  • 21 to 25104 (13%)
  • 26 to 35126 (16%)
  • 36 to 4564 (7.9%)
  • 46 to 5543 (5.3%)
  • 56 to 6543 (5.3%)
  • 66 to 7546 (5.7%)
  • Over 7525 (3.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider493 (61%)
  • Passenger241 (30%)
  • Pedestrian74 (9.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car585 (60%)
  • Motorcycle206 (21%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes61 (6.2%)
  • Pedal cycle57 (5.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes36 (3.7%)
  • Other vehicle13 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car9 (0.9%)
  • Bus or coach8 (0.8%)
  • Minibus8 (0.8%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for South Somerset in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 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 1981

The A30 had the most collisions in South Somerset in 1981: 62, including 5 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in South Somerset, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA306298522
2ndA30358107826
3rdA374061214
4thA358325119
5thA359162215
6thA372162215
7thA378162305
8thA3088152003
9thB3165151904
10thB3153132714
11thA356101101
12thA37191304
13thB315181304
14thA35771212
15thA30374413
16thB31394400
17thB31413300
18thA30662201
19thB30812200
20thB31622400

Towns in South Somerset: crashes in 1981

Yeovil had the most collisions of any town in South Somerset in 1981: 114.

Postcode districts in South Somerset: crashes in 1981

BA22 had the most collisions of any postcode district in South Somerset in 1981: 103.

Somerset and its former districts in 1981

Somerset recorded 1,833 collisions in 1981, and 30% of them were in the old South Somerset district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in South Somerset in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in South Somerset in 1981, 4 were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

South Somerset road accidents in other years