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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.
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The roads are not dangerous - it is the bad drivers. If the "at fault" driver in a crash was given a prison sentence for Violent Assault then we all might be a little more cautious.
Denis, Rochdale, England
I cannot see how the use of satnavs could help as the percentage of people with these is too small. Let us educate drivers with the ability to read the road. How about compulsory CPD five yearly to cover these types of issues.
Ian Pomeroy, Chester, Cheshire
As I don't have a car my motorbike is how I get around. I don't do 100mph on the public road so why should I be lumped in with those who do? The sooner the lunatic fringe are dealt with the better. Bikes aren't dangerous and neither are roads. Closing roads to bikes is not the answer. Use the law.
Chris, Blackpool,
The most dangerous things on the road are other drivers particularly in vehicles coming towards you. Which is why my favourite route to the gym, 8.0km of unsurfaced road, cliff face on one side, sheer drop on the other, at night, is safer than the main road. Jury's still out on the deep snow aspect.
Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan
What constitutes a dangerous road? One where pedestrians walk out in front of drivers without looking? One where sheep stray into the road? Or a motorway with fast traffic? How about a single track mountain road with steep drops on either side? Roads in darkness? This is absolutely ludicrous...
Chris, shrewsbury,
The most dangerous roads as I can see, are the roads with excessive signs, and speed cameras - you watch your speedometer rather than the road.
Chris, shrewsbury,
It clearly is not roads that cause accidents in any case you may care to quote, particularly the roads around Buxton where bikers do their stuff. People driving vehicles at too great a speed and/or without proper care are to blame 100%, even in bad weather conditions.
alan, warks, UK
More nannying - a stern voice scolding us for straying on to a "dangerous" road sounds 1984-ish to me. What strikes me as really dangerous is the implication that people won't drive as carefully as the nature of the road demands without being reminded.
Barry, Wallington, UK