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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 440 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1997, and 662 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 9 were fatal and 65 were serious.

Collisions were up 4% on 1996 (425), and casualties fell from 671.

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 1997
440
Up 4% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
662
Down 1% on 1996
Fatal collisions
9
2% of collisions
Serious collisions
65
15% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1997

2% of collisions in West Dorset in 1997 were fatal and 15% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal92%
  • Serious6515%
  • Slight36683%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal111.7%
  • Serious8313%
  • Slight56886%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1997 is highlighted, with 440, up 4% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday55 (13%)
  • Tuesday63 (14%)
  • Wednesday65 (15%)
  • Thursday60 (14%)
  • Friday77 (18%)
  • Saturday68 (15%)
  • Sunday52 (12%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5912 (2.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (2%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5951 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5986 (20%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59100 (23%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5986 (20%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5970 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5926 (5.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January48 (11%)
  • February37 (8.4%)
  • March29 (6.6%)
  • April28 (6.4%)
  • May36 (8.2%)
  • June29 (6.6%)
  • July38 (8.6%)
  • August45 (10%)
  • September30 (6.8%)
  • October35 (8%)
  • November41 (9.3%)
  • December44 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight347 (79%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit66 (15%)
  • Dark, street lights lit24 (5.5%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.5%)
  • Dark, no street lighting1 (0.2%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds318 (72%)
  • Raining, no high winds74 (17%)
  • Fog or mist17 (3.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds7 (1.6%)
  • Raining with high winds6 (1.4%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (1.1%)
  • Other8 (1.8%)
  • Not recorded5 (1.1%)

Road surface

  • Dry238 (54%)
  • Wet or damp181 (41%)
  • Frost or ice16 (3.6%)
  • Snow4 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep1 (0.2%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph3 (0.7%)
  • 30 mph151 (34%)
  • 40 mph12 (2.7%)
  • 50 mph9 (2%)
  • 60 mph248 (56%)
  • 70 mph17 (3.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway392 (89%)
  • Roundabout21 (4.8%)
  • Dual carriageway19 (4.3%)
  • One way street or slip road4 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant493 (74%)
  • Pedestrian50 (7.6%)
  • Motorcyclist40 (6%)
  • Cyclist31 (4.7%)
  • Van occupant24 (3.6%)
  • Bus or coach occupant10 (1.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)9 (1.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.5%)
  • Minibus occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 58 (1.2%)
  • 6 to 1021 (3.2%)
  • 11 to 1524 (3.6%)
  • 16 to 2093 (14%)
  • 21 to 2591 (14%)
  • 26 to 35156 (24%)
  • 36 to 4573 (11%)
  • 46 to 5557 (8.6%)
  • 56 to 6549 (7.4%)
  • 66 to 7546 (6.9%)
  • Over 7544 (6.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider418 (63%)
  • Passenger194 (29%)
  • Pedestrian50 (7.6%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car626 (79%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes40 (5%)
  • Motorcycle38 (4.8%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes35 (4.4%)
  • Pedal cycle32 (4%)
  • Other vehicle11 (1.4%)
  • Minibus5 (0.6%)
  • Bus or coach3 (0.4%)
  • Taxi or private hire car3 (0.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1997

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1997 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 1997

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1997: 94, including 2 fatal and 7 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA359416327
2ndA3066274605
3rdB3157233314
4thB3162233205
5thA352202804
6thA30183532
7thA37172505
8thA354121915
9thA353101501
10thB314791000
11thA35682202
12thB316581202
13thA30525501
14thB31435502
15thB31505610
16thB31635601
17thA30303500
18thB31453301
19thB31422200
20thB31482200

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1997

Bridport had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1997: 34.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1997

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1997: 142.

Dorset and its former districts in 1997

Dorset recorded 1,479 collisions in 1997, and 30% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1997, none were fatal and 4 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1997.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years