Every year thousands of people are killed on British roads in road traffic accidents and a new report recently released by ‘The Road Safety Foundation’ has revealed the top ten most dangerous roads in Britain. The report, titled ‘Saving Lives For Less’ covers 28,000 miles of motorways and A-roads and revealed that half of all fatal road crashes occur on just one-tenth of all Britain’s roads.
The most dangerous road in Britain is revealed to be the A537 which runs between Macclesfield in Cheshire, and Buxton in Derbyshire. The road has severe bends, steep falls and is edged by dry stone walls and between 2007 and 2008, 34 people were killed on this road. The most improved road for safety is the A40 between Landover and Carmarthen.
Other conclusions that have come from examining data include the following:
- Single roads are six times more dangerous than motorways and dual carriageways.
- 1 in every 4 fatal crashed involve motorcyclists
- 1 third of fatal crashed happen at junctions
- The West Midlands has the safest roads
The Road Safety Foundation is campaigning for the government to spend more on improving road safety and this report indicates that if the government spends small sums improving the roads identified as accident black spots, millions could be saved as it would reduce the high cost of hospitals and emergency services.
Dr Joanne Hill, who is the director of the foundation, said that “Not only can Britain reduce road deaths and serious injuries but, by targeting a relatively small mileage of high-risk roads, we can do so with good economic returns. Too often we pay for emergency services, hospitals and care for the disabled rather than taking easy steps to put road design faults right.”
The top ten most dangerous roads as revealed by the report are as follows:
- A537 Macclesfield to Buxton – Cheshire/Derbyshire
- A5012 Pikehall to Matlock – Derbyshire
- A621 Baslow to Totley – Derbyshire/South Yorkshire
- A625 Calver to Sheffield – South Yorkshire
- A54 Congleton to Buxton – Derbyshire
- A581 Rufford to Chorley – Lancashire
- A5004 Whaley Bridge to Buxton – Derbyshire
- A675 Blackburn to Preston – Lancashire
- A61 Barnsley to Wakefield – South/West Yorkshire
- A285 Chichester to Petworth – West Sussex
If you are injured in a road traffic accident it is important to instruct a firm of specialist personal injury solicitors, such as ourselves, who can give you comprehensive legal advice and take on your claim on a no win no fee basis. We will recover compensation for your injuries as well as the financial losses you have sustained.
