Report names Britain's most dangerous roads

Half of all fatal collisions occur on one-tenth of the road network, says a new report from the Road Safety Foundation called Saving Lives For Less. It names the A573 from Macclesfield to Buxton as the UK's most persistently dangerous road. However, when motorcycles are excluded the highest risk road was the A18 from Ludborough to Laceby.

Road crashes are the country's largest cause of premature death, and the survey found that one third of all fatal and serious collisions occur at junctions. Single carriageways carry six times the risk of motorways and twice that of dual carriageways.

Top 10 dangerous roads were:

1. A537 Macclesfield to Buxton – Cheshire/Derbyshire
2. A5012 Pikehall to Matlock – Derbyshire
3. A621 Baslow to Totley – Derbyshire/South Yorkshire
4. A625 Calver to Sheffield – South Yorkshire
5. A54 Congleton to Buxton – Derbyshire
6. A581 Rufford to Chorley – Lancashire
7. A5004 Whaley Bridge to Buxton – Derbyshire
8. A675 Blackburn to Preston – Lancashire
9. A61 Barnsley to Wakefield – South/West Yorkshire
10. A285 Chichester to Petworth – West Sussex

West Midlands was the safest region, with the lowest average risk rating.

The A40 from Llandovery to Carmarthen was the most improved road, where junctions have been upgraded, new road markings introduced and extensive resurfacing carried out, including anti-skid treatments, saving 20 fatal and serious collisions between 2006-2008.

Simple, relatively inexpensive engineering measures are paying dividends, contributing to more than 70% fewer fatal and serious collision in the last three years on the top ten most improved roads. Improvements to signing and markings, resurfacing, particularly the use of high-friction anti-skid treatments, and the layout and signing of junctions are common.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Joanne Hill, director of the Road Safety Foundation, said: "This years report shows that not only can Britain reduce roads deaths and serious injuries but that, 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.

"There are practical examples of how, with attention to detail, some authorities are slashing the toll of death and serious injury on high risk stretches by as much as three-quarters. Simple, relatively inexpensive engineering measures, such as improvements to signing and lining, resurfacing and the layout of signals at junctions, are paying dividends and are affordable particularly when done as part of well-planned routine maintenance."