Britain’s Most Dangerous Roads

1,775 people in Great Britain were killed in road accidents in 2014 according to recent statistics, which is a 4% rise on 2013’s figures and works out at 5 people every day. The majority of the fatalities occurred on just 10% of the entire British road network. Here at Cox Motor Parts, we are have taken apart the figures to find out which are Britain’s most dangerous roads.

A537 Derbyshire – Cheshire

The notoriously dangerous stretch of road which runs from Derbyshire to Cheshire crosses the Peak District National Park and Manchester. This route has become known as the Cat and Fiddle road because of a particularly hazardous section which links Macclesfield with the Cat & Fiddle Inn. The road first grew to notoriety in 2005 when the amount of serious accidents recorded on the A road rocketed 125% on previous figures from 2003.

A285 Chichester – Petworth

This A road runs for only 12 miles across West Sussex, however it has become one of the most dangerous roads in Britain in recent years. The route links Chichester to Petworth and similarly to the A537, runs through a national park and has seen a 16% rise in fatal and serious crashes over time.

Between 2010-2012, there were 21 fatal or serious accidents on the West Sussex route. The A285 has apparently received a number of low cost safety measures over the years, but non have improved the roads glum figures.

A809 Glasgow

A Scottish entry into our list of most dangerous roads is the section of the A809 which links the A811 to the B8050 and runs for just 16 miles. This road has ranked in the top 5 most dangerous roads for a number of years and had ranked 2nd in the 2014 statistics, pipped to the unwanted crown by the previously mentioned A285.

A621 Baslow – Totley

The most recurrent roads in this list tend to be A roads which run through countryside, and particularly through national parks and the A621 is yet another scenic route on this list. Running between Baslow in Derbyshire and Totley in Yorkshire, adds to a growing list of dangerous roads which run through Derbyshire and the Peak District.

A61 Wakefield

Singled out as the most dangerous road in Yorkshire, the A61 between junction 44 of the M1 and Wakefield has averaged around 24 incidents per year. Unlike most of the roads on this list, this major A road links to the M1, and the majority of its accidents involve cyclists or pedestrians. 

A6 Lancaster

The road with the highest fatality figures in this list, the 9km stretch between junction 33 and Lancaster saw 25 serious and fatal accidents between 2010 and 2012. The most noticeable thing about this routes figures is the amount of pedestrians and cyclists involved in accidents, which made up 64% of the total incidents.

A4300 Kettering

Seen as the most dangerous road in the East Midlands, the A4300 runs through Kettering in Northamptonshire. The road averages between 5 and 10 serious or fatal accidents every year and belongs to the most dangerous region in the UK, the East Midlands.

Some road accidents are unpredictable and unfortunate, but others are completely preventable. Cars that have not been properly maintained are more susceptible to failures and malfunctions which can prove to be the direct cause of an accident. Don’t ignore warning lights or anything else that you know to be an area of concern.