Study finds the UK's three most dangerous roads
Insurer yesinsurance.co.uk is calling for action to reduce the risks posed by the UK's most dangerous roads.
The installation of crash barriers and realignment of junctions, combined with improvements in traffic signing and white-lining, are identified by the insurer as the most beneficial improvements that can be made to high-risk stretches of road.
The European Road Assessment Programme identifies the UK's three most dangerous roads as the A682 in Yorkshire, the A54 in Derbyshire, and the A84 in Scotland.
Paul Purdy of yesinsurance.co.uk. said: "The programme is the most accurate guide to the safety of roads in the UK, because it takes into account the amount of traffic travelling on each road, rather than being simply based on the number of accidents."
Purdy added: "Single carriageway roads in rural, often hilly, areas, tend to be among the most dangerous sections of road in the UK, and the risk is generally higher if the road is in or on the way to attractive destinations such as national parks,"
"Conversely, the safest roads in the UK are typically motorways," he said.
Latest figures show that Britain was the third best country surveyed in 2004, with a rate of 5.5 deaths on the road per 100,000 of population - very close to the rates of 5.3 in Sweden and 4.9 in the Netherlands.
By comparison, the rate in the US was 14.5 deaths per 100,000 of population. In Europe, Poland was the worst offender, with a rate of 15.
