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CrashStats

West Somerset road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 108 road traffic collisions in West Somerset in 1981, and 154 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 4 were fatal and 53 were serious.

Collisions were down 4% on 1980 (113), and casualties fell from 156.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 4,155 collisions in West Somerset.

District council until April 2019, now part of Somerset. Figures follow the old district boundary.

Collisions in 1981
108
Down 4% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
154
Down 1% on 1980
Fatal collisions
4
3.7% of collisions
Serious collisions
53
49% of collisions

Crash severity in West Somerset in 1981

3.7% of collisions in West Somerset in 1981 were fatal and 49% serious, against 2.8% and 22% in West Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal43.7%
  • Serious5349%
  • Slight5147%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal53.2%
  • Serious6240%
  • Slight8756%

West Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 128 in 1984. 1981 is highlighted, with 108, down 4% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20255796
20245373
20233254
20223448
20213140
20202233
20195985
20185992
201764107
201661106
201576120
201484122
201371113
201262100
201185125
201074113
200991158
2008102165
2007119187
2006123192
2005109165
2004105147
2003125180
200298153
2001109148
200096147
1999114139
1998113148
1997106141
199689126
1995102148
1994109161
199365108
1992111168
199179105
199085114
198979109
198899143
1987107148
198699134
1985102136
1984128190
1983119193
1982107146
1981108154
1980113156
1979120169

When and where crashes happen in West Somerset in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday14 (13%)
  • Tuesday15 (14%)
  • Wednesday16 (15%)
  • Thursday13 (12%)
  • Friday20 (19%)
  • Saturday18 (17%)
  • Sunday12 (11%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5910 (9.3%)
  • 03:00 to 05:592 (1.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:599 (8.3%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5912 (11%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5920 (19%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5926 (24%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5912 (11%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5917 (16%)

Collisions by month

  • January3 (2.8%)
  • February5 (4.6%)
  • March4 (3.7%)
  • April9 (8.3%)
  • May13 (12%)
  • June8 (7.4%)
  • July15 (14%)
  • August22 (20%)
  • September11 (10%)
  • October5 (4.6%)
  • November6 (5.6%)
  • December7 (6.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight78 (72%)
  • Dark, no street lighting18 (17%)
  • Dark, street lights lit10 (9.3%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (1.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds77 (71%)
  • Raining, no high winds23 (21%)
  • Fine with high winds4 (3.7%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.9%)
  • Raining with high winds1 (0.9%)
  • Other2 (1.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry68 (63%)
  • Wet or damp39 (36%)
  • Frost or ice1 (0.9%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph42 (39%)
  • 60 mph66 (61%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway102 (94%)
  • One way street or slip road3 (2.8%)
  • Dual carriageway1 (0.9%)
  • Roundabout1 (0.9%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Somerset in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant84 (55%)
  • Motorcyclist33 (21%)
  • Pedestrian19 (12%)
  • Cyclist9 (5.8%)
  • Van occupant7 (4.5%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant1 (0.6%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 52 (1.3%)
  • 6 to 1012 (7.8%)
  • 11 to 1512 (7.8%)
  • 16 to 2037 (24%)
  • 21 to 2526 (17%)
  • 26 to 3518 (12%)
  • 36 to 4514 (9.1%)
  • 46 to 558 (5.2%)
  • 56 to 6511 (7.1%)
  • 66 to 758 (5.2%)
  • Over 756 (3.9%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider83 (54%)
  • Passenger52 (34%)
  • Pedestrian19 (12%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car109 (66%)
  • Motorcycle29 (18%)
  • Pedal cycle9 (5.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes7 (4.3%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes6 (3.7%)
  • Other vehicle2 (1.2%)
  • Bus or coach1 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Somerset in 1981

Map of the last 19 crashes of 1981 in West Somerset

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

  • 19 crashes
  • Fatal
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in West Somerset with the most crashes in 1981

The A39 had the most collisions in West Somerset in 1981: 37, including 1 fatal and 16 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Somerset, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA393760116
2ndA3587921
3rdA39651104
4thB31353602
5thB32223402
6thB31902301
7thB30921101
8thB31411101
9thB31511101
10thB31911300
11thB32231100

Towns in West Somerset: crashes in 1981

Minehead had the most collisions of any town in West Somerset in 1981: 13.

Postcode districts in West Somerset: crashes in 1981

TA24 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Somerset in 1981: 49.

Somerset and its former districts in 1981

Somerset recorded 1,833 collisions in 1981, and 5.9% of them were in the old West Somerset district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in West Somerset in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in West Somerset in 1981, 2 were fatal and 8 were serious. The last was on 16 December 1981.

Severity

West Somerset road accidents in other years