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CrashStats

West Suffolk road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 700 road traffic collisions in West Suffolk in 1981, and 1,008 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 21 were fatal and 235 were serious.

Collisions were up 8% on 1980 (650), and casualties rose from 954.

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

Collisions in 1981
700
Up 8% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
1,008
Up 6% on 1980
Fatal collisions
21
3% of collisions
Serious collisions
235
34% of collisions

Crash severity in West Suffolk in 1981

3% of collisions in West Suffolk in 1981 were fatal and 34% serious, against 2.5% and 23% in West Suffolk from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal213%
  • Serious23534%
  • Slight44463%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal252.5%
  • Serious30630%
  • Slight67767%

West Suffolk road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in West Suffolk, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 780 in 1988. 1981 is highlighted, with 700, up 8% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • 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 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday90 (13%)
  • Tuesday107 (15%)
  • Wednesday85 (12%)
  • Thursday99 (14%)
  • Friday110 (16%)
  • Saturday107 (15%)
  • Sunday102 (15%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5945 (6.4%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5917 (2.4%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5991 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5983 (12%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59101 (14%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59151 (22%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59113 (16%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5999 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January48 (6.9%)
  • February45 (6.4%)
  • March48 (6.9%)
  • April56 (8%)
  • May69 (9.9%)
  • June47 (6.7%)
  • July85 (12%)
  • August50 (7.1%)
  • September62 (8.9%)
  • October71 (10%)
  • November61 (8.7%)
  • December58 (8.3%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight459 (66%)
  • Dark, no street lighting134 (19%)
  • Dark, street lights lit99 (14%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit5 (0.7%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown2 (0.3%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds521 (74%)
  • Raining, no high winds98 (14%)
  • Fine with high winds15 (2.1%)
  • Fog or mist10 (1.4%)
  • Raining with high winds10 (1.4%)
  • Snowing, no high winds6 (0.9%)
  • Snowing with high winds2 (0.3%)
  • Other36 (5.1%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.3%)

Road surface

  • Dry478 (68%)
  • Wet or damp175 (25%)
  • Frost or ice31 (4.4%)
  • Snow13 (1.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep3 (0.4%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph274 (39%)
  • 40 mph60 (8.6%)
  • 50 mph2 (0.3%)
  • 60 mph316 (45%)
  • 70 mph48 (6.9%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway628 (90%)
  • Dual carriageway45 (6.4%)
  • Roundabout17 (2.4%)
  • One way street or slip road10 (1.4%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in West Suffolk in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant578 (57%)
  • Motorcyclist223 (22%)
  • Pedestrian83 (8.2%)
  • Cyclist73 (7.2%)
  • Van occupant22 (2.2%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)14 (1.4%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (0.9%)
  • Minibus occupant5 (0.5%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 521 (2.1%)
  • 6 to 1032 (3.2%)
  • 11 to 1569 (6.8%)
  • 16 to 20303 (30%)
  • 21 to 25148 (15%)
  • 26 to 35169 (17%)
  • 36 to 4591 (9%)
  • 46 to 5564 (6.3%)
  • 56 to 6562 (6.2%)
  • 66 to 7533 (3.3%)
  • Over 7516 (1.6%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider610 (61%)
  • Passenger315 (31%)
  • Pedestrian83 (8.2%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car727 (63%)
  • Motorcycle216 (19%)
  • Pedal cycle75 (6.5%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes62 (5.4%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes47 (4.1%)
  • Minibus9 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle9 (0.8%)
  • Bus or coach7 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car3 (0.3%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for West Suffolk in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in West Suffolk

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

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How West Suffolk ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, West Suffolk had the 112th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
112th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
105th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
61st
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
66th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in West Suffolk with the most crashes in 1981

The A143 had the most collisions in West Suffolk in 1981: 67, including 27 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in West Suffolk, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA14367103027
2ndA11015797019
3rdA114876314
4thA1344660318
5thA454063115
6thA10652654210
7thA1304192406
8thA604193206
9thB1103171818
10thB1112172915
11thA1088111602
12thA142112524
13thB1102111202
14thB1106111306
15thB1063101103
16thB1107101612
17thA130291004
18thB10617800
19thA10925910
20thB10572201

Towns in West Suffolk: crashes in 1981

Bury St Edmunds had the most collisions of any town in West Suffolk in 1981: 124.

Postcode districts in West Suffolk: crashes in 1981

IP28 had the most collisions of any postcode district in West Suffolk in 1981: 182.

Former districts in West Suffolk in 1981

West Suffolk now covers 2 former district councils, abolished in April 2019. Of these, St Edmundsbury had the most collisions in 1981: 413.

Latest crashes in West Suffolk in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in West Suffolk in 1981, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

West Suffolk road accidents in other years