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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1985: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 358 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1985, and 530 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 108 were serious.

Collisions were down 13% on 1984 (411), and casualties fell from 621.

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 1985
358
Down 13% on 1984
Casualties in 1985
530
Down 15% on 1984
Fatal collisions
8
2.2% of collisions
Serious collisions
108
30% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1985

2.2% of collisions in West Dorset in 1985 were fatal and 30% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal82.2%
  • Serious10830%
  • Slight24268%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.5%
  • Serious13025%
  • Slight39274%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1985 is highlighted, with 358, down 13% on 1984.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1985
  • 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 1985

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday63 (18%)
  • Tuesday39 (11%)
  • Wednesday50 (14%)
  • Thursday38 (11%)
  • Friday58 (16%)
  • Saturday63 (18%)
  • Sunday47 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5912 (3.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:594 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5931 (8.7%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5967 (19%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5969 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5988 (25%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5961 (17%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5926 (7.3%)

Collisions by month

  • January12 (3.4%)
  • February15 (4.2%)
  • March35 (9.8%)
  • April23 (6.4%)
  • May33 (9.2%)
  • June35 (9.8%)
  • July41 (11%)
  • August35 (9.8%)
  • September34 (9.5%)
  • October23 (6.4%)
  • November31 (8.7%)
  • December41 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight284 (79%)
  • Dark, no street lighting50 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights lit22 (6.1%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.6%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds292 (82%)
  • Raining, no high winds51 (14%)
  • Fog or mist3 (0.8%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other9 (2.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry231 (65%)
  • Wet or damp116 (32%)
  • Frost or ice7 (2%)
  • Snow3 (0.8%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph111 (31%)
  • 40 mph12 (3.4%)
  • 60 mph208 (58%)
  • 70 mph27 (7.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway338 (94%)
  • Dual carriageway11 (3.1%)
  • One way street or slip road6 (1.7%)
  • Roundabout2 (0.6%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1985

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant319 (60%)
  • Motorcyclist103 (19%)
  • Pedestrian44 (8.3%)
  • Cyclist25 (4.7%)
  • Van occupant15 (2.8%)
  • Bus or coach occupant13 (2.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)8 (1.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (0.4%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 511 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1013 (2.5%)
  • 11 to 1533 (6.2%)
  • 16 to 20123 (23%)
  • 21 to 2581 (15%)
  • 26 to 3573 (14%)
  • 36 to 4563 (12%)
  • 46 to 5543 (8.1%)
  • 56 to 6542 (7.9%)
  • 66 to 7537 (7%)
  • Over 7511 (2.1%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider311 (59%)
  • Passenger175 (33%)
  • Pedestrian44 (8.3%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car437 (66%)
  • Motorcycle101 (15%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes38 (5.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes32 (4.9%)
  • Pedal cycle25 (3.8%)
  • Other vehicle16 (2.4%)
  • Bus or coach8 (1.2%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1985

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1985 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 1985

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1985: 74, including 1 fatal and 26 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1985
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3574126126
2ndB3157284106
3rdA3522644012
4thA37243307
5thA354212906
6thA3066152105
7thA30141813
8thB3145121804
9thA356101611
10thA35382001
11thB314361002
12thA30524511
13thB31634401
14thB31623301
15thB31653801
16thA30302300
17thB31442200
18thB31482301
19thB33902302
20thA40441100

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1985

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1985: 34.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1985

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1985: 128.

Dorset and its former districts in 1985

Dorset recorded 1,288 collisions in 1985, and 28% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1985

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1985, 1 was fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1985.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years