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CrashStats

South Somerset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 541 road traffic collisions in South Somerset in 1997, and 775 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 87 were serious.

Collisions were up 8% on 1996 (500), and casualties rose from 725.

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 1997
541
Up 8% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
775
Up 7% on 1996
Fatal collisions
9
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
87
16% of collisions

Crash severity in South Somerset in 1997

1.7% of collisions in South Somerset in 1997 were fatal and 16% serious, against 2.6% and 20% in South Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal91.7%
  • Serious8716%
  • Slight44582%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal91.2%
  • Serious11214%
  • Slight65484%

South Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in South Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 610 in 2002. 1997 is highlighted, with 541, up 8% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday63 (12%)
  • Tuesday91 (17%)
  • Wednesday60 (11%)
  • Thursday71 (13%)
  • Friday98 (18%)
  • Saturday85 (16%)
  • Sunday73 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5919 (3.5%)
  • 03:00 to 05:598 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5971 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5988 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59108 (20%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59140 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5971 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5936 (6.7%)

Collisions by month

  • January33 (6.1%)
  • February34 (6.3%)
  • March42 (7.8%)
  • April53 (9.8%)
  • May54 (10%)
  • June47 (8.7%)
  • July43 (7.9%)
  • August45 (8.3%)
  • September50 (9.2%)
  • October52 (9.6%)
  • November47 (8.7%)
  • December41 (7.6%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight424 (78%)
  • Dark, no street lighting61 (11%)
  • Dark, street lights lit47 (8.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.9%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit4 (0.7%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds375 (69%)
  • Raining, no high winds86 (16%)
  • Fog or mist13 (2.4%)
  • Raining with high winds13 (2.4%)
  • Fine with high winds10 (1.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds5 (0.9%)
  • Other35 (6.5%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.7%)

Road surface

  • Dry324 (60%)
  • Wet or damp204 (38%)
  • Frost or ice10 (1.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.4%)
  • Snow1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph204 (38%)
  • 40 mph30 (5.5%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph274 (51%)
  • 70 mph30 (5.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway441 (82%)
  • Roundabout46 (8.5%)
  • Dual carriageway36 (6.7%)
  • One way street or slip road11 (2%)
  • Not recorded7 (1.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in South Somerset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant578 (75%)
  • Pedestrian63 (8.1%)
  • Motorcyclist55 (7.1%)
  • Cyclist42 (5.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)11 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant10 (1.3%)
  • Van occupant8 (1%)
  • Minibus occupant4 (0.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant2 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 520 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 1041 (5.3%)
  • 11 to 1545 (5.8%)
  • 16 to 20118 (15%)
  • 21 to 2583 (11%)
  • 26 to 35157 (20%)
  • 36 to 45110 (14%)
  • 46 to 5574 (9.5%)
  • 56 to 6548 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7534 (4.4%)
  • Over 7545 (5.8%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider472 (61%)
  • Passenger240 (31%)
  • Pedestrian63 (8.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car809 (80%)
  • Motorcycle54 (5.4%)
  • Pedal cycle43 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes35 (3.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes29 (2.9%)
  • Other vehicle26 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach6 (0.6%)
  • Minibus2 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for South Somerset in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 in South Somerset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in South Somerset with the most crashes in 1997

The A303 had the most collisions in South Somerset in 1997: 72, including 17 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in South Somerset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA30372109017
2ndA30527314
3rdA37314501
4thA358283946
5thB3151152502
6thA359142213
7thA356102112
8thA37191602
9thA37281501
10thB308181603
11thB315381102
12thA30887901
13thA3576600
14thB31676701
15thB316861300
16thA3785701
17thA395702
18thB314551101
19thB31655601
20thA30663500

Towns in South Somerset: crashes in 1997

Yeovil had the most collisions of any town in South Somerset in 1997: 99.

Postcode districts in South Somerset: crashes in 1997

BA22 had the most collisions of any postcode district in South Somerset in 1997: 89.

Somerset and its former districts in 1997

Somerset recorded 1,839 collisions in 1997, and 29% of them were in the old South Somerset district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in South Somerset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in South Somerset in 1997, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

South Somerset road accidents in other years