Over-confident Londoners 'more likely to crash on countryside roads'
Those living in the countryside have another reason to despise city slickers: over-confident motorists from London are significantly more likely to crash on rural roads, according to a new report.
In a survey of 2,000 motorists, some 38 per cent from the capital have been involved in a collision in the countryside, compared with 23 per cent of the general population.
This is despite those from London claiming they felt better prepared to drive in rural areas straight after passing their test.
The poll, conducted by NFU Mutual, found that 75 per cent of motorists from the big smoke felt confident to drive in the countryside having only recently passed their test, while the national average is just 69 per cent.
The rural insurer says the findings highlight the need to tackle road safety on rural roads, which pose the greatest risk to drivers, with fatal collisions statistically more common than they are on urban streets.
Department for Transport figures shows that 9,887 people were killed on rural roads in the last decades, which is two thirds more than the number on roads in towns and cities.
Those living in the countryside have another reason to despise city slickers: over-confident motorists from London are significantly more likely to crash on rural roads, according to a new report
In 2024, 956 people were killed on country roads, 72 per cent more than the 555 on urban roads.
Rural roads are also significantly more deadly when taking into account miles travelled, the insurer warns.
Analysis of 2024 data shows there were 6.3 deaths per billion miles travelled on countryside roads, compared to 4.7 on urban roads and 1.3 on motorways.
With rural roads consistently and disproportionately more dangerous than urban roads, NFU Mutual wants new rules introduced requiring learners to gain experience on rural roads.
It called for the creation of a 'Rural Road Safety Awareness Course' for those who offend on rural roads, too.
In its survey, three in ten admitted to rarely or never driving on rural roads while learning to drive, with a tenth never doing so.
As a result, a quarter of those polled said they felt unprepared to drive on rural roads following their test.
In a survey of 2,000 motorists, some 38% from the capital have been involved in a collision in the countryside, compared with 23% of the general population
Yet, it is motorists from London who claim to be best prepared to drive in rural areas straight after passing their test
Nick Turner, chief executive of NFU Mutual, said the figures 'shock and worry' him.
'In the 10 years to the end of 2024, 10,000 lives were lost on Britain's rural roads. To put that into perspective, that's almost three loved ones killed each day over the last decade,' he said.
'As the chief executive of the UK's leading rural insurer, I spend my days contemplating how we can reduce risk and protect lives and livelihoods in rural areas.
'These figures shock and worry me, as they should anybody who lives, works in, or visits our countryside, and I'm calling on the Government to ensure that the new national road safety strategy addresses this avoidable loss of life in our countryside.'
While the UK currently has some of the lowest road fatality numbers across Europe and the world, the annual road casualty toll has remained stagnant for over a decade.
In response, Labour has promised the biggest shake-up of driving rules in almost two decades as deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads rise.
Ministers are currently putting the final touches to a new Road Safety Strategy, which is due to be published imminently to outline how the Government expects to cut the nation's death toll on highways.
This is likely to include new requirements for drivers over 70 to pass an eye test every three years, else lose their licence.
It will also impose stricter drink-drive limits, a crackdown on uninsured drivers, a requirement for all new cars to be able to be fitted with 'alcolock' breathalysers for convicted drink drivers, and tougher punishment for those caught in vehicles not wearing a seatbelt.
Department for Transport figures shows that 9,887 people were killed on rural roads in the last decades, which is two thirds more than the number on roads in towns and cities
Rural roads are also significantly more deadly when taking into account miles travelled, insurer NFU Mutual warns
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'It's clear that something needs to change,' Turner says.
'After years of declining fatalities on rural roads, progress has stalled since around 2012.
'It's not acceptable that Britain continues to lose around 1,000 people each year to rural road fatalities and more must be done to prevent this needless loss of life.'
NFU Mutual's analysis shows that only the North West of England saw fewer rural road fatalities than urban road fatalities, with each nation and other region of Great Britain losing more people to rural road collisions than crashes in urban areas.
Some 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents last year, and nearly 28,000 were seriously injured — the equivalent of about one casualty every 18 minutes.
Between 2000 and 2010, serious road casualties almost halved from 41,000 to 24,000, but since then have risen by nearly 20 per cent.
