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CrashStats

West Somerset road accidents in 1997: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 106 road traffic collisions in West Somerset in 1997, and 141 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 3 were fatal and 13 were serious.

Collisions were up 19% on 1996 (89), and casualties rose from 126.

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 1997
106
Up 19% on 1996
Casualties in 1997
141
Up 12% on 1996
Fatal collisions
3
2.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
13
12% of collisions

Crash severity in West Somerset in 1997

2.8% of collisions in West Somerset in 1997 were fatal and 12% serious, against 2.8% and 22% in West Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal32.8%
  • Serious1312%
  • Slight9085%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal32.1%
  • Serious139.2%
  • Slight12589%

West Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 128 in 1984. 1997 is highlighted, with 106, up 19% on 1996.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1997
  • 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 1997

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday21 (20%)
  • Tuesday17 (16%)
  • Wednesday18 (17%)
  • Thursday15 (14%)
  • Friday15 (14%)
  • Saturday11 (10%)
  • Sunday9 (8.5%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:591 (0.9%)
  • 03:00 to 05:591 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5911 (10%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5922 (21%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5919 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5935 (33%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5913 (12%)
  • 21:00 to 23:594 (3.8%)

Collisions by month

  • January3 (2.8%)
  • February3 (2.8%)
  • March7 (6.6%)
  • April9 (8.5%)
  • May9 (8.5%)
  • June10 (9.4%)
  • July15 (14%)
  • August13 (12%)
  • September8 (7.5%)
  • October11 (10%)
  • November6 (5.7%)
  • December12 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight90 (85%)
  • Dark, no street lighting14 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights lit2 (1.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds83 (78%)
  • Raining, no high winds10 (9.4%)
  • Fine with high winds5 (4.7%)
  • Raining with high winds2 (1.9%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.9%)
  • Other3 (2.8%)
  • Not recorded2 (1.9%)

Road surface

  • Dry73 (69%)
  • Wet or damp33 (31%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph33 (31%)
  • 40 mph5 (4.7%)
  • 60 mph68 (64%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway104 (98%)
  • One way street or slip road1 (0.9%)
  • Roundabout1 (0.9%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Somerset in 1997

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant91 (65%)
  • Motorcyclist18 (13%)
  • Pedestrian15 (11%)
  • Cyclist12 (8.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant2 (1.4%)
  • Van occupant2 (1.4%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)1 (0.7%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 57 (5%)
  • 6 to 106 (4.3%)
  • 11 to 156 (4.3%)
  • 16 to 2014 (9.9%)
  • 21 to 2516 (11%)
  • 26 to 3535 (25%)
  • 36 to 4510 (7.1%)
  • 46 to 5518 (13%)
  • 56 to 6512 (8.5%)
  • 66 to 7510 (7.1%)
  • Over 757 (5%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider94 (67%)
  • Passenger32 (23%)
  • Pedestrian15 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car142 (72%)
  • Motorcycle17 (8.7%)
  • Pedal cycle14 (7.1%)
  • Other vehicle9 (4.6%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes6 (3.1%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes5 (2.6%)
  • Bus or coach3 (1.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Somerset in 1997

Map of the last 22 crashes of 1997 in West Somerset

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

  • 22 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Roads in West Somerset with the most crashes in 1997

The A39 had the most collisions in West Somerset in 1997: 29, including 2 fatal and 3 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Somerset, 1997
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA39294323
2ndA358101304
3rdB322471011
4thA3964600
5thB32233501
6thA351100
7thB31881100
8thB31901100
9thB31911100
10thB32151100
11thB32221101

Towns in West Somerset: crashes in 1997

Minehead had the most collisions of any town in West Somerset in 1997: 8.

Postcode districts in West Somerset: crashes in 1997

BA12 and TA24 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Somerset in 1997, with 22 each.

Somerset and its former districts in 1997

Somerset recorded 1,839 collisions in 1997, and 5.8% of them were in the old West Somerset district.

Other former districts in Somerset

Latest crashes in West Somerset in 1997

Of the last 24 crashes in West Somerset in 1997, none were fatal and 2 were serious. The last was on 29 December 1997.

Severity

West Somerset road accidents in other years