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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1980: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 390 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1980, and 540 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 11 were fatal and 130 were serious.

Collisions were level with 1979, and casualties fell from 566.

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 1980
390
Level with 1979
Casualties in 1980
540
Down 5% on 1979
Fatal collisions
11
2.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
130
33% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1980

2.8% of collisions in West Dorset in 1980 were fatal and 33% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal112.8%
  • Serious13033%
  • Slight24964%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal122.2%
  • Serious15829%
  • Slight37069%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1980 is highlighted, with 390, level with 1979.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1980
  • 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 1980

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday54 (14%)
  • Tuesday57 (15%)
  • Wednesday59 (15%)
  • Thursday51 (13%)
  • Friday49 (13%)
  • Saturday72 (18%)
  • Sunday48 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5918 (4.6%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5950 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5964 (16%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5972 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5995 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5951 (13%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5934 (8.7%)

Collisions by month

  • January28 (7.2%)
  • February22 (5.6%)
  • March26 (6.7%)
  • April19 (4.9%)
  • May27 (6.9%)
  • June40 (10%)
  • July51 (13%)
  • August48 (12%)
  • September32 (8.2%)
  • October29 (7.4%)
  • November35 (9%)
  • December33 (8.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight305 (78%)
  • Dark, no street lighting52 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit29 (7.4%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit3 (0.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds295 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds59 (15%)
  • Fog or mist8 (2.1%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.3%)
  • Raining with high winds3 (0.8%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other15 (3.8%)
  • Not recorded3 (0.8%)

Road surface

  • Dry249 (64%)
  • Wet or damp124 (32%)
  • Frost or ice17 (4.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph145 (37%)
  • 40 mph9 (2.3%)
  • 60 mph227 (58%)
  • 70 mph9 (2.3%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway374 (96%)
  • Dual carriageway9 (2.3%)
  • Roundabout4 (1%)
  • One way street or slip road2 (0.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1980

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant283 (52%)
  • Motorcyclist128 (24%)
  • Pedestrian51 (9.4%)
  • Cyclist33 (6.1%)
  • Van occupant20 (3.7%)
  • Bus or coach occupant12 (2.2%)
  • Minibus occupant8 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)3 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 56 (1.1%)
  • 6 to 1020 (3.7%)
  • 11 to 1552 (9.6%)
  • 16 to 20147 (27%)
  • 21 to 2571 (13%)
  • 26 to 3563 (12%)
  • 36 to 4551 (9.4%)
  • 46 to 5541 (7.6%)
  • 56 to 6545 (8.3%)
  • 66 to 7534 (6.3%)
  • Over 7510 (1.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider322 (60%)
  • Passenger167 (31%)
  • Pedestrian51 (9.4%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car421 (62%)
  • Motorcycle127 (19%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes38 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes34 (5%)
  • Pedal cycle34 (5%)
  • Minibus11 (1.6%)
  • Bus or coach7 (1%)
  • Other vehicle7 (1%)
  • Taxi or private hire car2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1980

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1980 in West Dorset

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in West Dorset with the most crashes in 1980

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1980: 77, including 1 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1980
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3577115122
2ndB31573768313
3rdA3522842016
4thA354222604
5thA30182215
6thA37182307
7thA3066101213
8thB314581001
9thB316281002
10thA305271001
11thB31447903
12thA3566610
13thB31636803
14thA3535901
15thA30704502
16thA30303301
17thB31653603
18thB33903401
19thB31432201
20thB31461200

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1980

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1980: 56.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1980

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1980: 110.

Dorset and its former districts in 1980

Dorset recorded 1,285 collisions in 1980, and 30% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1980

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1980, 1 was fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1980.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years