Driving through a busy town centre is riskier than a trip along quiet countryside lanes – true or false?

8 June 2010

It’s false – the national figures show that you’re three times more likely to be killed travelling by car on a rural road than on an urban one.

Road with a slow written on it

Countryside lanes pose a bigger risk to many road users. The facts speak for themselves – those travelling by lorry are twice as likely to die in the countryside and those on motorcycles are 2.5 times more likely to be killed.

Mike Ashworth, chairman of Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership, says: “People wrongly assume that winding their way through a sleepy village is safer than negotiating the town centre traffic.

“Your journey through the countryside shouldn’t be an opportunity to switch off and relax – you need to be alert to handle the challenges you’ll face.”

Other motorists aren’t the only thing you need to worry about when travelling in the countryside. Last year, more than a third of the crashes on Derbyshire’s rural roads involved a single vehicle losing control. Of these more than 60 per cent happened on bends and more than 40 per cent happened when the road was wet.

Other hazards that are common in the countryside include stretches of narrow or single-track road, high hedges and debris, such as fallen branches and farm waste.

Slowing down is a good way to cut your risk of crashing when conditions are difficult. Many people forget that the speed limit is a maximum not a target. Sometimes it won’t be safe for you to travel at the speed limit – when there’s bad weather or you’re travelling down narrow lanes, for example.

Serious and fatal rural casualties in Derbyshire are at their lowest level for 15 years – but the partnership is not on track to meet the targets set for it by government.

Mike said: “We’ve seen a big improvement in the past few years - the number of people killed or badly hurt dropped from 231 in 2007 to 165 in 2009.

“We think this is partly down to the speed limit cuts we’ve made recently. But we need to do more to get drivers to change their habits.”

Not all rural roads have pavements. This means you’re more likely to end up sharing the road with pedestrians as well as horse riders, cyclists, cattle and farm vehicles.

“Getting caught behind a tractor is frustrating but overtaking can be a risky business,” said Mike “The gap between you and oncoming traffic can disappear surprisingly fast.

“If you’re both driving at 60 miles an hour, the gap between you is closing at 120 miles an hour – that’s about 60 metres every second.”

Four of Derbyshire’s rural roads feature in a list of Britain’s ‘persistently higher risk roads’.

The European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) - which compares routes across the country with similar traffic levels - included the following sections of Derbyshire road on its list because the numbers of people killed or badly hurt along them have remained high since 2002:

  • Via Gellia (A5012) between Cromford and Newhaven
  • A5004 between Whaley Bridge and Buxton
  • A54 between Buxton and Congleton in Cheshire
  • A621 between Baslow and Totley in South Yorkshire
Parts of all these roads are featured in The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire 2010 – a road safety partnership publication which tells riders how to survive the routes where motorcyclists regularly run into trouble.

Mike Ashworth said: “Derbyshire roads are among the country’s most popular with bikers. During spring and summer, thousands visit to ride our scenic and challenging routes.

“Most ride for pleasure, but some like to test their bike’s performance and their skill on our most difficult routes.”

Mike added: “Sadly many of the crashes are caused by rider error.”

In an effort to cut crashes, Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership is offering cut-price training to qualified riders who want to improve their skills.

You can get more details about Bike Plus training from Call Derbyshire on 08456 058 058.

The countryside may be a great place to relax and unwind – but rural roads require 100 per cent of your concentration. Whether you’re driving, riding or walking, take the same care that you would in a busy town centre.

Tips for safe driving on rural roads:

  • Always drive within the speed limit.

  • Be guided by weather conditions and the layout of the road when choosing your speed.

  • Slow right down when driving near pedestrians and cyclists.

  • Drive slowly around bends - drop your speed and gears as you approach because it will help your tyres to grip and keep the car stable.

  • Give pedestrians and cyclists plenty of room if you decide it’s safe overtake.

  • Assume there’s a hazard round every blind corner – drive at a speed that will allow you to stop within the distance you can see is clear.

  • Look for clues in the distance that tell you what the road is about to do – signs, telegraph poles, lamp posts and hedges can help you read the direction of the road.

  • Stop the car and switch off the engine if you encounter a herd of cattle - wait for them pass before moving on.

Fact file: Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership

The partnership - which exists to cut road deaths and injuries - will tackle five priorities this year:

  • Motorcyclists - almost a third of the 566 people killed or badly hurt on Derbyshire’s roads last year were bikers.

  • Young drivers - more than a quarter of deaths and serious injuries were the result of crashes involving young drivers.

  • Driving for work – more than a fifth of those killed or badly hurt were driving for work or commuting.

  • Drink driving - one in 25 crashes involved someone who was driving over the limit or refused a breath-test.

  • Children - forty-five of those killed or badly hurt were aged 15 or under.

The partnership’s 2010/11 work programme includes:

  • speed, seatbelt and mobile phone checks by police
  • help for businesses developing work driving policies
  • free child car seat checks
  • cut-price training for young drivers and motorcyclists
  • road safety workshops in colleges
  • police drink-drive crackdowns.

Partnership members include Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, Derbyshire police, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, Highways Agency,  NHS Derbyshire County, NHS Derby City and Peak District National Park Authority.