The most dangerous roads in Britain
New data released from Regtransfers.co.uk reveals that more than half (52 percent) of Britain’s most dangerous roads run through London. The private number plate specialists have combined Government statistics to create an original data set and Interactive map to highlight the 50 most high risk routes in Britain, and the most dangerous road in every region across the country.
The number of people killed on Britain’s roads has reached a five-year high. A staggering 1,792 deaths were recorded in road traffic accidents last year, up four percent on the previous year and the most since 2011.
As the weather in Britain gets decidedly more wintery, driving conditions get worse. Adverse weather and longer periods of darkness makes driving much more hazardous, as sub-zero temperatures lead to potentially dangerous road conditions. But, what is the most dangerous road?
It may come as little surprise that the capital’s congested roads are some of the most dangerous roads in Britain. In fact, the top 10 most dangerous roads all run through London.
Also read: South Africa’s dangerous roads – how to ensure your safety
These findings are backed by figures from the Department of Transport, which states that London’s busy roads are three times more dangerous mile for mile than country routes. Nearly 25 people are killed or seriously injured for every 100 miles of tarmac in London, compared to less than seven for every 100 miles of rural road.
The A107, which runs through London between Whitechapel and Hackney is also notorious for having a high number of accidents with an accident rate of 8.38 per 1 million vehicle-miles driven, making it Britain’s second most dangerous road. The A105, which runs from Canonbury to Enfield town ranks third in the list, with an accident rate of 6.7 per 1 million vehicle-miles driven.
The top 10 most dangerous roads in Britain are…
- A1010, London/East of England, accident rate = 12.70
- A107, London, accident rate = 8.38
- A105, London, accident rate = 6.75
- A315, South West/London, accident rate = 6.70
- A112, London, accident rate = 6.25
- A400, London, accident rate = 4.40
- A4020, London, accident rate = 3.93
- A219, London, accident rate = 3.87
- A215, London, accident rate = 3.87
- A214, London, accident rate = 3.73
AA president Edmund King comments: “London’s roads are some of the busiest in the world and the fact that night and day the roads are full of buses, taxis, trucks, vans, cars, motorbikes, mopeds and pedestrians means there is more potential conflict.”
As well as discovering the 50 most dangerous roads in Britain, further research was conducted to find out the most dangerous roads in every region.
The most dangerous road in every region…
- North West, A49, accident rate = 26.12
- London, A1010, accident rate = 12.31
- West Midlands, A4040, accident rate = 3.30
- Yorkshire and Humber, A1079, accident rate = 3.11
- Scotland, A7, accident rate = 3.10
- East Midlands, A15, accident rate = 2.87
- South East, A420, accident rate = 2.76
- North East, A193, accident rate = 2.53
- Wales, A487, accident rate = 2.05
- East, A134, accident rate = 1.76
- South West, A39, accident rate = 1.56
Angela Banh, of Regtransfers comments: “The data reveals some interesting insights about our roads. It might come as a surprise that London’s roads are more dangerous than some of Britain’s most deadly rural routes or motorways, but when you consider how congested the roads are in London, you can see why the accident rate is so high, especially on the A1010, where there’s on average, 12 accidents per 1 million vehicle-miles driven.
“To create this unique data set, we’ve divided the number of accidents by the amount of traffic on the road, and it reveals that the busiest roads that typically come out on top aren’t actually the most dangerous. It’s the roads that see see more accidents per vehicle-mile which we should be most wary of – the ones drivers may actually feel safer on in comparison to a motorway or country lane.
“Hopefully by highlighting the most dangerous roads in Britain, we are helping raise awareness for safe driving, especially through these hazardous winter months. The weather can be unpredictable, making roads treacherous, and stopping distances can double in the wet and increase ten-fold in ice and snow.”
For more information on the most dangerous roads in Britain click here.