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CrashStats

M5 crash in North Somerset on 5 January 1998 at 15:48 involving a Rover 400 Series

Sixteen vehicles, including a Rover 400 Series and a Citroen BX, were involved in a crash on the M5 in North Somerset at 15:48 on Monday 5 January 1998. All ten casualties were slightly injured.

It happened after dark with no street lighting in rain and high winds on an icy dual carriageway with a 70 mph limit, away from any junction.

Severity
Slight
Date
5 Jan 1998
Monday, 15:48
Vehicles
16
Rover 400 Series and 15 others
Casualties
10
10 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 51.33361, longitude -2.89364, in the BS24 postcode district.

Map of where the crash happened in North Somerset

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  • 1 crash
  • Slight

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
1998520003620
Council area
North Somerset
Police force
Avon and Somerset

Road and location details

First road class
Motorway
First road number
5
Road type
Dual carriageway
Speed limit
70 mph
Urban or rural
Rural
Trunk road
Trunk road (National Highways)

Junction information

Junction type
Not at junction or within 20 metres

Pedestrian crossing information

Crossing facilities
No physical crossing facility within 50 m

Environmental conditions

Light conditions
Dark, no street lighting
Weather
Raining with high winds
Road surface
Frost or ice

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, 10 metres away, was a slight injury crash on 4 November 1985.

Vehicles involved (16)

  • Vehicle 1: Rover 400 Series

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Female
    Driver age
    40 years
    Engine capacity
    1,994 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    1 year

  • Vehicle 2: Citroen BX

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    33 years
    Engine capacity
    1,769 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    6 years

  • Vehicle 3: Land Rover Range Rover

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    37 years
    Engine capacity
    2,497 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    1 year

  • Vehicle 4: Vauxhall Astra

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Female
    Driver age
    25 years
    Engine capacity
    1,389 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    6 years

  • Vehicle 5: Lorry

    Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes

    Towing and articulation
    Articulated vehicle
    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    34 years
    Engine capacity
    14,190 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    2 years

  • Vehicle 6: Vauxhall Cavalier

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    44 years
    Engine capacity
    1,600 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    11 years

  • Vehicle 7: Peugeot 205

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    32 years
    Engine capacity
    1,769 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    4 years

  • Vehicle 8: Vauxhall Corsa

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Offside
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    34 years
    Engine capacity
    1,389 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    1 year

  • Vehicle 9: Ford Escort

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    53 years
    Engine capacity
    1,753 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    4 years

  • Vehicle 10: Vauxhall Cavalier

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    47 years
    Engine capacity
    1,998 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    5 years

  • Vehicle 11: Vauxhall Cavalier

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Female
    Driver age
    21 years
    Engine capacity
    1,598 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    12 years

  • Vehicle 12: Mazda 626

    Car

    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
    70 years
    Engine capacity
    1,789 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    9 years

  • Vehicle 13: Ford Escort

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Female
    Driver age
    44 years
    Engine capacity
    1,597 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    4 years

  • Vehicle 14: Ford Escort

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    25 years
    Engine capacity
    1,753 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    3 years

  • Vehicle 15: Vauxhall Astra

    Car

    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
    23 years
    Engine capacity
    1,796 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    7 years

  • Vehicle 16: BMW 5 Series

    Car

    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
    39 years
    Engine capacity
    2,498 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Diesel
    Vehicle age
    2 years

Casualties (10)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 44, car occupant, in vehicle 6 (Vauxhall Cavalier)

  • Casualty 2: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 32, car occupant, in vehicle 7 (Peugeot 205)

  • Casualty 3: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 47, car occupant, in vehicle 10 (Vauxhall Cavalier)

  • Casualty 4: Passenger

    Slight

    Female, aged 47, car occupant, in vehicle 10 (Vauxhall Cavalier)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

  • Casualty 5: Driver

    Slight

    Female, aged 21, car occupant, in vehicle 11 (Vauxhall Cavalier)

  • Casualty 6: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 70, car occupant, in vehicle 12 (Mazda 626)

  • Casualty 7: Driver

    Slight

    Female, aged 44, car occupant, in vehicle 13 (Ford Escort)

  • Casualty 8: Passenger

    Slight

    Male, aged 47, car occupant, in vehicle 13 (Ford Escort)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

  • Casualty 9: Passenger

    Slight

    Male, aged 16, car occupant, in vehicle 13 (Ford Escort)

    Car passenger
    Rear seat passenger

  • Casualty 10: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 23, car occupant, in vehicle 15 (Vauxhall Astra)

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 1998520003620 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the North Somerset road accident statistics for 1998.