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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 367 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1981, and 569 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 126 were serious.

Collisions were down 6% on 1980 (390), and casualties rose from 540.

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 1981
367
Down 6% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
569
Up 5% on 1980
Fatal collisions
8
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
126
34% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1981

2.2% of collisions in West Dorset in 1981 were fatal and 34% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal82.2%
  • Serious12634%
  • Slight23363%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal91.6%
  • Serious16729%
  • Slight39369%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1981 is highlighted, with 367, down 6% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday42 (11%)
  • Tuesday42 (11%)
  • Wednesday52 (14%)
  • Thursday46 (13%)
  • Friday69 (19%)
  • Saturday68 (19%)
  • Sunday48 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5912 (3.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:596 (1.6%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5931 (8.4%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5964 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5971 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5993 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5957 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5933 (9%)

Collisions by month

  • January27 (7.4%)
  • February32 (8.7%)
  • March24 (6.5%)
  • April26 (7.1%)
  • May34 (9.3%)
  • June29 (7.9%)
  • July44 (12%)
  • August33 (9%)
  • September40 (11%)
  • October27 (7.4%)
  • November30 (8.2%)
  • December21 (5.7%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight278 (76%)
  • Dark, no street lighting63 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit23 (6.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown1 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds281 (77%)
  • Raining, no high winds49 (13%)
  • Fog or mist16 (4.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds3 (0.8%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.5%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.5%)
  • Other13 (3.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry224 (61%)
  • Wet or damp128 (35%)
  • Frost or ice14 (3.8%)
  • Snow1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.3%)
  • 30 mph127 (35%)
  • 40 mph14 (3.8%)
  • 60 mph216 (59%)
  • 70 mph9 (2.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway345 (94%)
  • Dual carriageway9 (2.5%)
  • One way street or slip road7 (1.9%)
  • Roundabout6 (1.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant313 (55%)
  • Motorcyclist136 (24%)
  • Pedestrian46 (8.1%)
  • Cyclist23 (4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant19 (3.3%)
  • Van occupant18 (3.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant4 (0.7%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.4%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 512 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1024 (4.2%)
  • 11 to 1535 (6.2%)
  • 16 to 20153 (27%)
  • 21 to 2577 (14%)
  • 26 to 3581 (14%)
  • 36 to 4565 (11%)
  • 46 to 5551 (9%)
  • 56 to 6535 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7521 (3.7%)
  • Over 7515 (2.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider321 (56%)
  • Passenger202 (36%)
  • Pedestrian46 (8.1%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car390 (60%)
  • Motorcycle128 (20%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes41 (6.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes36 (5.6%)
  • Pedal cycle24 (3.7%)
  • Other vehicle13 (2%)
  • Bus or coach9 (1.4%)
  • Minibus7 (1.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 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 1981

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1981: 73, including 2 fatal and 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3573119220
2ndB31573761311
3rdA352213107
4thA354212905
5thA30132305
6thA37133108
7thA356111605
8thA3030101802
9thA3066101502
10thB314591113
11thA35341802
12thB31434500
13thB31444501
14thB31624602
15thA30523401
16thA30703300
17thB31593401
18thB31472200
19thB31482301
20thB31642201

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1981

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1981: 47.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1981

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1981: 122.

Dorset and its former districts in 1981

Dorset recorded 1,221 collisions in 1981, and 30% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1981, none were fatal and 9 were serious. The last was on 30 December 1981.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years