Win tickets to the ATP finals

Details of the most dangerous roads in Britain will be programmed into satellite navigation devices to tell drivers when they stray on to them.
EuroRAP, the European Road Assessment Programme, a non-profit road safety group, is in talks with several sat-nav companies to allow them to use its risk map, which is published today.
The map shows that the most lethal road is a route through a tranquil beauty spot in the Peak District between Macclesfield, in Cheshire, and Buxton, in Derbyshire. The A537, also known as the Cat and Fiddle, is only eight miles long but there were 21 fatal or serious collisions on it from 2004 to 2006.
Cheshire County Council, which is responsible for most of its length, has spent millions of pounds trying to improve it since it acquired the title of Britain's most dangerous road but has been unable to dissuade weekend motorcyclists from speeding.
Joanne Hill, of EuroRAP, said that biking enthusiasts routinely travelled at 100mph (160km/h) along the road, which has blind corners on narrow sections where lorries are likely to stray over the centre line.
“The council are at the end of their tether,” she said. “They are thinking of closing down the road to certain vehicles on weekends. They could put rumble strips down because bikers hate going over them at speed, but that doesn't solve the problem. The bikers will go elsewhere.
“It is one of those roads where bikers like to go to drive like maniacs. You can see videos of them doing ridiculous speeds along there posted on YouTube. They drive at up to 100mph in a 50mph zone.”
If motorcyclists are removed from the figures, the Macclesfield-Buxton road is one of the safest. The most treacherous for cars is the A61 in Yorkshire between Barnsley and Wakefield — six miles of undulating single carriageway on which there were 17 fatal or serious accidents in the last three years. Wakefield and Barnsley councils blamed lack of funding.
Dr Hill said that sat-nav warnings would be tested this year and could be available by next summer. “It will say, 'You are entering a high-risk area. Please be careful'.”
The British map will also be included in road atlases by Collins, which is owned by News Corporation, the parent company of The Times.
The risk of serious crashes had fallen by 18 per cent since the previous three-year study, but motorways and A-roads were still too dangerous, Dr Hill said.
“Despite significant advances in knowledge, engineering practice and road-safety countermeasures, 30 per cent of the primary A-road sections do not achieve even the top two safest risk bands that we would expect as the minimum safety level for these strategic roads.”
Almost a quarter of motorway sections fall outside the safest risk band.
The most dangerous motorway is the M621 between junctions 2 and 2a in West Yorkshire, but motorways are relatively safe. Drivers are three times more likely to die on a rural road.
The most improved road is the A38 to Tamworth, in the West Midlands, where fatal or serious accidents fell from eight in 2001-03 to one in 2004-06 after traffic lights were introduced and speed limits were reduced.
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Get ready for the winter sports season, with our resort guides and snow reports
We are backing British business, what is the confidence of the nation and what businesses are succeeding?
Growing demand for energy, oil that is harder to reach and the rise of carbon dioxide emissions. We examine the energy challenge
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more



36-month car lease
on contract hire for
£359.99 plus VAT pm
12 months for the price of 11 and a 5% discount.
Offer ends 31/11/09
The UK's leading alternative to showroom finance.
Finance packages tailored to your needs.
Minimum loan of £15,000
Car Insurance
c£100,000 + car, bonus & bens
Lord Search & Selection
Midlands
Competitive
Barclaycard
Competitive
EVERSHEDS
London and Manchester
£80-95,000
Clay McGuire Executive Selection
Moments from Battersea Park.
For sale with Winkworth.
See your free Experian credit report beforehand
Book now & save over £100pp.
11 cool resorts, lowest prices... Early Booking offers 15 Nov.
20% off selected Azores holidays taken in October with Sunvil Discovery
Get covered on your travels with a superb range of policies at great prices. Visit InsureandGo.com
World Class Golf, Spa and preferential Beach Club. Private estate overlooking West Coast
Villas from £275 per night inclusive of Golf
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.