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CrashStats

West Dorset road accidents in 1998: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 467 road traffic collisions in West Dorset in 1998, and 699 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 8 were fatal and 89 were serious.

Collisions were up 6% on 1997 (440), and casualties rose from 662.

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 1998
467
Up 6% on 1997
Casualties in 1998
699
Up 6% on 1997
Fatal collisions
8
1.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
89
19% of collisions

Crash severity in West Dorset in 1998

1.7% of collisions in West Dorset in 1998 were fatal and 19% serious, against 2.5% and 22% in West Dorset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal81.7%
  • Serious8919%
  • Slight37079%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal81.1%
  • Serious11617%
  • Slight57582%

West Dorset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Dorset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 467 in 1998. 1998 is highlighted, with 467, up 6% on 1997.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1998
  • 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 1998

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday66 (14%)
  • Tuesday73 (16%)
  • Wednesday64 (14%)
  • Thursday69 (15%)
  • Friday76 (16%)
  • Saturday73 (16%)
  • Sunday46 (9.9%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5915 (3.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:595 (1.1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5955 (12%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5979 (17%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59105 (22%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59112 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5967 (14%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5929 (6.2%)

Collisions by month

  • January36 (7.7%)
  • February29 (6.2%)
  • March39 (8.4%)
  • April42 (9%)
  • May47 (10%)
  • June34 (7.3%)
  • July36 (7.7%)
  • August39 (8.4%)
  • September39 (8.4%)
  • October45 (9.6%)
  • November32 (6.9%)
  • December49 (10%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight357 (76%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit74 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit34 (7.3%)
  • Dark, no street lighting2 (0.4%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds332 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds79 (17%)
  • Fog or mist23 (4.9%)
  • Fine with high winds9 (1.9%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (1.9%)
  • Other14 (3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Road surface

  • Dry253 (54%)
  • Wet or damp203 (43%)
  • Frost or ice9 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep2 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph1 (0.2%)
  • 30 mph139 (30%)
  • 40 mph34 (7.3%)
  • 50 mph9 (1.9%)
  • 60 mph261 (56%)
  • 70 mph23 (4.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway412 (88%)
  • Dual carriageway28 (6%)
  • Roundabout21 (4.5%)
  • One way street or slip road5 (1.1%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Dorset in 1998

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant533 (76%)
  • Pedestrian51 (7.3%)
  • Motorcyclist44 (6.3%)
  • Cyclist26 (3.7%)
  • Van occupant21 (3%)
  • Other vehicle occupant9 (1.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)7 (1%)
  • Bus or coach occupant6 (0.9%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.3%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 518 (2.6%)
  • 6 to 1029 (4.1%)
  • 11 to 1536 (5.2%)
  • 16 to 20110 (16%)
  • 21 to 2574 (11%)
  • 26 to 35126 (18%)
  • 36 to 45107 (15%)
  • 46 to 5580 (11%)
  • 56 to 6558 (8.3%)
  • 66 to 7534 (4.9%)
  • Over 7527 (3.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider445 (64%)
  • Passenger203 (29%)
  • Pedestrian51 (7.3%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car673 (77%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes53 (6.1%)
  • Motorcycle49 (5.6%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes34 (3.9%)
  • Pedal cycle28 (3.2%)
  • Other vehicle15 (1.7%)
  • Bus or coach12 (1.4%)
  • Minibus5 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Dorset in 1998

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1998 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 1998

The A35 had the most collisions in West Dorset in 1998: 93, including 2 fatal and 22 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Dorset, 1998
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA3593156222
2ndB31573065111
3rdA352283608
4thB3162222502
5thA30213314
6thA3066192300
7thA37192703
8thA354153311
9thB3143122014
10thA3538902
11thA35681102
12thB31446701
13thB31456803
14thB31476700
15thB31506700
16thB316561001
17thB33906801
18thA30525602
19thA383301
20thA30302300

Towns in West Dorset: crashes in 1998

Dorchester, Dorset had the most collisions of any town in West Dorset in 1998: 38.

Postcode districts in West Dorset: crashes in 1998

DT2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Dorset in 1998: 184.

Dorset and its former districts in 1998

Dorset recorded 1,456 collisions in 1998, and 32% of them were in the old West Dorset district.

Other former districts in Dorset

Latest crashes in West Dorset in 1998

Of the last 24 crashes in West Dorset in 1998, none were fatal and 5 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1998.

Severity

West Dorset road accidents in other years