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CrashStats

Fatal A71 crash in West Lothian on 31 December 1989 at 18:05 involving a car

A car and a bus or coach were involved in a crash on the A71 in West Lothian at 18:05 on Sunday 31 December 1989. The 32-year-old male driver of the car and a 4-year-old male passenger in the car were killed and the 52-year-old male driver of the bus or coach was slightly injured.

It happened after dark under street lighting in fine weather on a dry single carriageway with a 30 mph limit, at a private drive or entrance.

Severity
Fatal
Date
31 Dec 1989
Sunday, 18:05
Vehicles
2
Car and bus or coach
Casualties
3
2 killed, 1 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 55.85834, longitude -3.55634, in the EH55 postcode district and within the built-up area of Polbeth.

Map of where the crash happened in West Lothian

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  • 1 crash
  • Fatal

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
198995D89F066
Council area
West Lothian
Police force
Lothian and Borders

Road and location details

First road class
A
First road number
71
Road type
Single carriageway
Speed limit
30 mph

Junction information

Junction type
Using private drive or entrance
Junction control
Give way or uncontrolled
Second road class
Unclassified

Pedestrian crossing information

Crossing facilities
No physical crossing facility within 50 m

Environmental conditions

Light conditions
Dark, street lights lit
Weather
Fine, no high winds
Road surface
Dry

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, at the same spot, was a serious injury crash on 14 March 1983.

Vehicles involved (2)

  • Vehicle 1: Car

    Manoeuvre
    Turning left
    Travelling from
    South East
    Travelling to
    South West
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    32 years

  • Vehicle 2: Bus or coach

    Bus or coach (17 or more seats)

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    52 years

Casualties (3)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Fatal

    Male, aged 32, car occupant, in vehicle 1 (Car)

  • Casualty 2: Passenger

    Fatal

    Male, aged 4, car occupant, in vehicle 1 (Car)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

  • Casualty 3: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 52, bus or coach occupant, in vehicle 2 (Bus or coach)

Data source

This record comes from the Department for Transport’s road safety data (STATS19), in which police forces in Great Britain record every road crash reported to them where someone was injured. It is reference 198995D89F066 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the West Lothian road accident statistics for 1989.