Skip to main content
CrashStats

Wakefield road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,279 road traffic collisions in Wakefield in 1981, and 1,636 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 39 were fatal and 281 were serious.

Collisions were level with 1980 (1,285), and casualties rose from 1,612.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 44,869 collisions in Wakefield.

Collisions in 1981
1,279
Level with 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,636
Up 1% on 1980
Fatal collisions
39
3% of collisions
Serious collisions
281
22% of collisions

Crash severity in Wakefield in 1981

3% of collisions in Wakefield in 1981 were fatal and 22% serious, against 1.8% and 20% in Wakefield from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal393%
  • Serious28122%
  • Slight95975%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal442.7%
  • Serious35021%
  • Slight1,24276%

Wakefield road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Wakefield, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,285 in 1980. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,279, level with 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025555722
2024589754
2023648813
2022614826
2021483633
2020387493
2019487641
2018617833
2017594812
2016684955
2015717986
2014644922
2013636917
20127191,061
20117261,113
20108031,188
20098421,283
20088431,260
20079221,335
20068921,297
20059471,439
20041,0921,681
20031,1141,669
20021,1161,691
20011,0601,634
20001,1171,646
19991,1551,684
19981,2391,766
19971,2221,792
19961,2111,695
19951,2161,695
19941,2121,679
19931,1641,545
19921,1741,588
19911,1711,535
19901,2021,588
19891,2081,620
19881,2121,609
19871,1171,465
19861,1351,505
19851,1311,452
19841,1351,400
19831,1561,478
19821,2631,640
19811,2791,636
19801,2851,612
19791,1341,460

When and where crashes happen in Wakefield in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday170 (13%)
  • Tuesday184 (14%)
  • Wednesday163 (13%)
  • Thursday221 (17%)
  • Friday207 (16%)
  • Saturday184 (14%)
  • Sunday150 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5967 (5.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5925 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59131 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59150 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59213 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59317 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59187 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59189 (15%)

Collisions by month

  • January100 (7.8%)
  • February81 (6.3%)
  • March99 (7.7%)
  • April95 (7.4%)
  • May103 (8.1%)
  • June105 (8.2%)
  • July131 (10%)
  • August105 (8.2%)
  • September110 (8.6%)
  • October116 (9.1%)
  • November121 (9.5%)
  • December113 (8.8%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight858 (67%)
  • Dark, street lights lit335 (26%)
  • Dark, no street lighting78 (6.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,019 (80%)
  • Raining, no high winds146 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds27 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist21 (1.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds21 (1.6%)
  • Raining with high winds20 (1.6%)
  • Snowing with high winds4 (0.3%)
  • Other17 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry816 (64%)
  • Wet or damp379 (30%)
  • Frost or ice59 (4.6%)
  • Snow23 (1.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph926 (72%)
  • 40 mph73 (5.7%)
  • 50 mph5 (0.4%)
  • 60 mph161 (13%)
  • 70 mph114 (8.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,085 (85%)
  • Dual carriageway141 (11%)
  • Roundabout39 (3%)
  • One way street or slip road8 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded6 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Wakefield in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant617 (38%)
  • Motorcyclist460 (28%)
  • Pedestrian318 (19%)
  • Cyclist131 (8%)
  • Van occupant38 (2.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant35 (2.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)24 (1.5%)
  • Minibus occupant7 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant4 (0.2%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 544 (2.7%)
  • 6 to 10101 (6.2%)
  • 11 to 15139 (8.5%)
  • 16 to 20516 (32%)
  • 21 to 25215 (13%)
  • 26 to 35221 (14%)
  • 36 to 45163 (10%)
  • 46 to 55101 (6.2%)
  • 56 to 6565 (4%)
  • 66 to 7552 (3.2%)
  • Over 7519 (1.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider928 (57%)
  • Passenger390 (24%)
  • Pedestrian318 (19%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,187 (57%)
  • Motorcycle475 (23%)
  • Pedal cycle138 (6.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes100 (4.8%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes88 (4.2%)
  • Bus or coach52 (2.5%)
  • Taxi or private hire car14 (0.7%)
  • Other vehicle13 (0.6%)
  • Minibus11 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Wakefield in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Wakefield

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Wakefield ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Wakefield had the 41st most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
41st
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
43rd
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
18th
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
45th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Wakefield with the most crashes in 1981

The A638 had the most collisions in Wakefield in 1981: 101, including 3 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Wakefield, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA638101138322
2ndA6457393417
3rdA616288414
4thA6426280313
5thA6554760112
6thA639435028
7thA6363244113
8thB6422304315
9thA1293714
10thB6128273223
11thA6282640014
12thB6136243108
13thB64212332110
14thB6273202314
15thA650182404
16thM1182725
17thM62172924
18thA656161900
19thB6428131505
20thB6474101214

Towns in Wakefield: crashes in 1981

Wakefield itself had the most collisions of any town in the area in 1981: 307.

Postcode districts in Wakefield: crashes in 1981

WF4 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Wakefield in 1981: 170.

Latest crashes in Wakefield in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Wakefield in 1981, none were fatal and 2 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1981.

Severity

Wakefield road accidents in other years