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10 Per Cent Of Britains Major Roads Classed High Risk
Mon, 12 Jul 2010

Half of all fatal car crashes in the UK occur on just 10 per cent of the nation’s roads, according to new research by the Road Safety Foundation.

The Foundation’s annual road tracking survey examined 28,000 miles of A-roads and motorways in the UK and found that 10 per cent of both have unacceptably high risk.

In terms of region, Scotland was identified as having the most dangerous roads with the highest average risk rating, while the lowest average risk rating went to the West Midlands.

The survey found the A357 between Macclesfield and Buxton to be the most persistently dangerous road in the UK, while the A40 between Llandovery and Carmarthen was named as Britain’s most improved road.

The Road Safety Foundation also found that more than 30 per cent of serious and fatal accidents occur at junctions; single-carriageway roads are six times more dangerous than motorways, and double that of dual carriageways; and motorcyclists are involved in a quarter of all fatal accidents on A-roads or motorways.

However, it did reveal a 5 per cent fall in the number of deaths on A-roads and motorways over the past three years.

The group said many lives could be saved and the resulting high costs of road accidents reduced if the government invested in making accident blackspots safer.

Dr Joanne Hill, director of the Road Safety Foundation said: "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."
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