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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1979: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 390 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1979, and 566 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 7 were fatal and 120 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 15,774 collisions in West Dorset.

District council until April 2019, now part of Dorset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1979
390
Casualties in 1979
566
Fatal collisions
7
1.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
120
31% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1979

1.8% of collisions in West Dorset in 1979 were fatal and 31% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal71.8%
  • Serious12031%
  • Slight26367%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal71.2%
  • Serious16329%
  • Slight39670%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1979 is highlighted, with 390.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025207297
2024248331
2023209285
2022217316
2021222298
2020159226
2019209304
2018189265
2017225328
2016248382
2015277409
2014262384
2013249356
2012283408
2011289436
2010267401
2009317455
2008308461
2007342502
2006372581
2005346522
2004388602
2003359554
2002426663
2001441656
2000438710
1999401633
1998467699
1997440662
1996425671
1995355611
1994431686
1993392626
1992405662
1991391620
1990389616
1989386632
1988393584
1987400611
1986363538
1985358530
1984411621
1983341490
1982382573
1981367569
1980390540
1979390566

When and where crashes happen in West Dorset in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday53 (14%)
  • Tuesday44 (11%)
  • Wednesday52 (13%)
  • Thursday57 (15%)
  • Friday60 (15%)
  • Saturday59 (15%)
  • Sunday65 (17%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5924 (6.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5940 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5963 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5971 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5988 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5949 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5949 (13%)

Collisions by month

  • January33 (8.5%)
  • February15 (3.8%)
  • March22 (5.6%)
  • April29 (7.4%)
  • May32 (8.2%)
  • June39 (10%)
  • July30 (7.7%)
  • August41 (11%)
  • September42 (11%)
  • October36 (9.2%)
  • November41 (11%)
  • December30 (7.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight281 (72%)
  • Dark, no street lighting80 (21%)
  • Dark, street lights lit25 (6.4%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown3 (0.8%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds283 (73%)
  • Raining, no high winds61 (16%)
  • Fine with high winds8 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist8 (2.1%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (1.5%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.5%)
  • Other21 (5.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry211 (54%)
  • Wet or damp138 (35%)
  • Frost or ice36 (9.2%)
  • Snow5 (1.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph146 (37%)
  • 40 mph8 (2.1%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph218 (56%)
  • 70 mph17 (4.4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway368 (94%)
  • Dual carriageway15 (3.8%)
  • One way street or slip road4 (1%)
  • Roundabout2 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant317 (56%)
  • Motorcyclist128 (23%)
  • Pedestrian45 (8%)
  • Van occupant35 (6.2%)
  • Cyclist23 (4.1%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)10 (1.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant4 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant4 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 513 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1020 (3.5%)
  • 11 to 1529 (5.1%)
  • 16 to 20171 (30%)
  • 21 to 2573 (13%)
  • 26 to 3567 (12%)
  • 36 to 4551 (9%)
  • 46 to 5551 (9%)
  • 56 to 6546 (8.1%)
  • 66 to 7530 (5.3%)
  • Over 7515 (2.7%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider331 (58%)
  • Passenger190 (34%)
  • Pedestrian45 (8%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car412 (62%)
  • Motorcycle123 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes45 (6.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes37 (5.6%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (3.8%)
  • Bus or coach13 (2%)
  • Minibus5 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle4 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1979

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1979 in West Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 1979

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1979: 94, including 2 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3594125222
2ndB31572539012
3rdA37244328
4thA302127010
5thA352153104
6thA354142003
7thB3143101505
8thA306681504
9thA35381001
10thA35681607
11thA30527902
12thB31627802
13thB31456601
14thA30303302
15thB31443301
16thB31483601
17thB31593301
18thA30702200
19thB31632200
20thB31421200

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1979

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1979: 50.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1979

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1979: 142.

Dorset and its former districts in 1979

Dorset recorded 1,418 collisions in 1979, and 28% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1979, none were fatal and 13 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1979.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years