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CrashStats

West Suffolk road accidents in 1979: crash statistics

Police recorded 690 road traffic collisions in West Suffolk in 1979, and 962 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 19 were fatal and 252 were serious.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 24,682 collisions in West Suffolk.

Collisions in 1979
690
Casualties in 1979
962
Fatal collisions
19
2.8% of collisions
Serious collisions
252
37% of collisions

Crash severity in West Suffolk in 1979

2.8% of collisions in West Suffolk in 1979 were fatal and 37% serious, against 2.5% and 23% in West Suffolk from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal192.8%
  • Serious25237%
  • Slight41961%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal192%
  • Serious30331%
  • Slight64067%

West Suffolk road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Suffolk, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 780 in 1988. 1979 is highlighted, with 690.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1979
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025288373
2024264357
2023211298
2022224336
2021262371
2020200254
2019284418
2018339459
2017316443
2016353463
2015322417
2014394542
2013357508
2012442660
2011452597
2010464644
2009463643
2008525732
2007571812
2006565808
2005555781
2004506722
2003648899
2002662973
20016821,014
2000613921
1999606904
1998613852
1997620865
1996599912
1995512728
1994563774
1993588866
1992613882
1991633905
19907291,086
19897591,075
19887801,101
1987684952
1986681971
1985618850
19847321,009
1983652918
1982698974
19817001,008
1980650954
1979690962

When and where crashes happen in West Suffolk in 1979

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday82 (12%)
  • Tuesday94 (14%)
  • Wednesday83 (12%)
  • Thursday93 (13%)
  • Friday125 (18%)
  • Saturday124 (18%)
  • Sunday89 (13%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5944 (6.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:597 (1%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5987 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5985 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5992 (13%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59160 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59104 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59111 (16%)

Collisions by month

  • January60 (8.7%)
  • February35 (5.1%)
  • March52 (7.5%)
  • April39 (5.7%)
  • May55 (8%)
  • June66 (9.6%)
  • July63 (9.1%)
  • August58 (8.4%)
  • September65 (9.4%)
  • October66 (9.6%)
  • November55 (8%)
  • December76 (11%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight444 (64%)
  • Dark, no street lighting133 (19%)
  • Dark, street lights lit111 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit2 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Raining, no high winds73 (11%)
  • Snowing, no high winds29 (4.2%)
  • Fog or mist10 (1.4%)
  • Other578 (84%)

Road surface

  • Dry421 (61%)
  • Wet or damp181 (26%)
  • Snow88 (13%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph300 (43%)
  • 40 mph40 (5.8%)
  • 50 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 60 mph1 (0.1%)
  • 70 mph348 (50%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway638 (92%)
  • Dual carriageway27 (3.9%)
  • Roundabout14 (2%)
  • One way street or slip road9 (1.3%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Suffolk in 1979

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant518 (54%)
  • Motorcyclist204 (21%)
  • Pedestrian101 (10%)
  • Cyclist73 (7.6%)
  • Van occupant46 (4.8%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)15 (1.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant3 (0.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant2 (0.2%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 522 (2.3%)
  • 6 to 1046 (4.8%)
  • 11 to 1558 (6%)
  • 16 to 20276 (29%)
  • 21 to 25136 (14%)
  • 26 to 35174 (18%)
  • 36 to 4582 (8.5%)
  • 46 to 5563 (6.5%)
  • 56 to 6549 (5.1%)
  • 66 to 7543 (4.5%)
  • Over 7513 (1.4%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider598 (62%)
  • Passenger263 (27%)
  • Pedestrian101 (10%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car687 (60%)
  • Motorcycle209 (18%)
  • Pedal cycle75 (6.5%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes73 (6.4%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes57 (5%)
  • Other vehicle35 (3.1%)
  • Bus or coach9 (0.8%)
  • Taxi or private hire car1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

How West Suffolk ranked among 349 areas in 1979

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, West Suffolk had the 115th most road collisions in 1979.

Collisions
115th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
112th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
91st
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
64th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in West Suffolk with the most crashes in 1979

The A143 had the most collisions in West Suffolk in 1979: 55, including 1 fatal and 20 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Suffolk, 1979
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA1435578120
2ndA1345280118
3rdA11015087122
4thA114473420
5thA10653550010
6thA604253017
7thB1103232619
8thA1302202105
9thA452031011
10thB1112203208
11thA1304132215
12thB1107131813
13thB1106111605
14thB1102101303
15thB106181003
16thA14271012
17thB106371102
18thA108861003
19thB10666704
20thB10853401

Postcode districts in West Suffolk: crashes in 1979

IP17 and IP19 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Suffolk in 1979, with 2 each.

Former districts in West Suffolk in 1979

West Suffolk now covers 2 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, St Edmundsbury had the most collisions in 1979: 390.

Latest crashes in West Suffolk in 1979

Of the last 24 crashes in West Suffolk in 1979, 2 were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1979.

Severity

West Suffolk road accidents in other years