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CrashStats

Sunderland road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 925 road traffic collisions in Sunderland in 1981, and 1,124 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 22 were fatal and 243 were serious.

Collisions were up 8% on 1980 (858), and casualties rose from 1,088.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 34,891 collisions in Sunderland.

Collisions in 1981
925
Up 8% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,124
Up 3% on 1980
Fatal collisions
22
2.4% of collisions
Serious collisions
243
26% of collisions

Crash severity in Sunderland in 1981

2.4% of collisions in Sunderland in 1981 were fatal and 26% serious, against 1.4% and 18% in Sunderland from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal222.4%
  • Serious24326%
  • Slight66071%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal222%
  • Serious27424%
  • Slight82874%

Sunderland road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Sunderland, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,044 in 1997. 1981 is highlighted, with 925, up 8% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025332430
2024335424
2023324438
2022322406
2021325426
2020321397
2019422542
2018401529
2017397518
2016513679
2015531748
2014573793
2013584793
2012568792
2011601807
2010654934
2009752989
20087481,002
20077581,031
20067601,021
20058181,101
20049021,236
20039881,346
20029021,255
20019411,315
20009631,346
19999511,306
19989681,355
19971,0441,475
19969961,368
19959531,309
19949461,265
19938901,156
19929821,281
19911,0331,363
19901,0151,355
19899391,238
19887951,046
19878241,071
1986776967
19858151,029
19848691,049
1983776919
19828591,040
19819251,124
19808581,088
19799421,203

When and where crashes happen in Sunderland in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday103 (11%)
  • Tuesday142 (15%)
  • Wednesday111 (12%)
  • Thursday159 (17%)
  • Friday162 (18%)
  • Saturday157 (17%)
  • Sunday91 (9.8%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5931 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (0.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5962 (6.7%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59117 (13%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59169 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59260 (28%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59152 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59128 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January82 (8.9%)
  • February61 (6.6%)
  • March64 (6.9%)
  • April85 (9.2%)
  • May60 (6.5%)
  • June94 (10%)
  • July87 (9.4%)
  • August65 (7%)
  • September92 (9.9%)
  • October82 (8.9%)
  • November72 (7.8%)
  • December81 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight650 (70%)
  • Dark, street lights lit253 (27%)
  • Dark, no street lighting21 (2.3%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds744 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds98 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds26 (2.8%)
  • Snowing, no high winds14 (1.5%)
  • Fog or mist6 (0.6%)
  • Raining with high winds4 (0.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.4%)
  • Other28 (3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry625 (68%)
  • Wet or damp257 (28%)
  • Frost or ice26 (2.8%)
  • Snow17 (1.8%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 10 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 30 mph760 (82%)
  • 40 mph60 (6.5%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph40 (4.3%)
  • 70 mph62 (6.7%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway671 (73%)
  • Dual carriageway127 (14%)
  • One way street or slip road87 (9.4%)
  • Roundabout36 (3.9%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Sunderland in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Pedestrian385 (34%)
  • Car occupant366 (33%)
  • Motorcyclist159 (14%)
  • Bus or coach occupant96 (8.5%)
  • Cyclist86 (7.7%)
  • Van occupant17 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant7 (0.6%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (0.4%)
  • Minibus occupant3 (0.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 558 (5.2%)
  • 6 to 10127 (11%)
  • 11 to 15121 (11%)
  • 16 to 20220 (20%)
  • 21 to 25134 (12%)
  • 26 to 35151 (13%)
  • 36 to 4590 (8%)
  • 46 to 5574 (6.6%)
  • 56 to 6577 (6.9%)
  • 66 to 7548 (4.3%)
  • Over 7524 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider454 (40%)
  • Pedestrian385 (34%)
  • Passenger285 (25%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car861 (63%)
  • Motorcycle167 (12%)
  • Bus or coach124 (9.1%)
  • Pedal cycle89 (6.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes64 (4.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes31 (2.3%)
  • Other vehicle13 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car6 (0.4%)
  • Minibus4 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Sunderland in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Sunderland

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Sunderland ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Sunderland had the 85th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
85th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
92nd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
55th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
62nd
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Sunderland with the most crashes in 1981

The A1018 had the most collisions in Sunderland in 1981: 86, including 4 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Sunderland, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA101886104422
2ndA6907797119
3rdA1834970012
4thA1824752213
5thB1289252715
6thB12862425013
7thA1231212904
8thB1405192104
9thA19182744
10thB1291131705
11thA1290111405
12thA195101314
13thA105271205
14thB12845600
15thA1(M)3400
16thB12933401
17thB12943400
18thB14043501
19thB12872401
20thB12882302

Towns in Sunderland: crashes in 1981

Sunderland itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 630.

Postcode districts in Sunderland: crashes in 1981

SR4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Sunderland in 1981: 164.

Latest crashes in Sunderland in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Sunderland in 1981, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Sunderland road accidents in other years