Report highlights cost effectiveness of crash reduction strategy

Local authorities in the UK needs an immediate injection of £200 million to tackle the high risk road sections, according to a new report from the Road Safety Foundation charity and Ageas UK. Called Cutting the Cost of Dangerous Roads, the report reveals that UK motorways and ‘A’ roads on the EuroRAP network make up 10% of the road network that contains half of all road deaths. It found that single carriageway ‘A’ roads have a risk factor seven times higher than motorways and nearly three times that of d
November 21, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Local authorities in the UK needs an immediate injection of £200 million to tackle the high risk road sections, according to a new report from the 776 Road Safety Foundation charity and Ageas UK.


Called Cutting the Cost of Dangerous Roads, the report reveals that UK motorways and ‘A’ roads on the EuroRAP network make up 10% of the road network that contains half of all road deaths. It found that single carriageway ‘A’ roads have a risk factor seven times higher than motorways and nearly three times that of dual carriageway ‘A’ roads while ‘high risk’ single carriageway roads are 67 times more risky than their low risk counterparts.

It identifies the most dangerous roads and says fatal and serious crashes on 10 ‘most improved roads’ roads was reduced by 74% (from 145 to 37) with an annual economic saving of £17m, or £149,000 per kilometre. The top six roads recorded reductions of 75% or above by implementing measures including reducing speed limits and improving enforcement, revised road markings and signage, increased lighting and resurfacing.

The largest single cause of death on the network was identified as run-off road crashes (30%) while crashes at junctions accounted for 30% of serious injury on the network. The report comes against a background of a 4% increase in road deaths (1,730 in 2015 to 1,792 in 2016) with half occurring on non-built-up roads (5% on motorways).

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Put ‘people, not cars' first in transport systems, says UN Environment chief
    October 21, 2016
    Lack of investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure not only contributes to the deaths of millions of people in traffic accidents on unsafe roads and poorly designed roadways, but also overlooks a great opportunity to boost the fight against climate change, according to a new UN Environment report. In Global Outlook on Walking and Cycling, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) claims that greater investment in such infrastructure could help save millions of lives and reduce emissions of global w
    Read More
  • How British drivers compare in European responsible driving survey
    April 2, 2015
    With 16 million UK motorists set to take to the roads this Easter weekend, a new European survey finds that risky driving habits and failure to respect the rules are on the increase. The annual survey carried out for Vinci Autoroutes Foundation for Responsible Driving by IPSOS examined the behaviour of drivers from ten European countries. Each year, this survey draws up an inventory of driving practices and trends, allowing closer targeting of methods to prevent irresponsible driving and promote safer ro
    Read More
  • Public transport key to climate change, says report
    September 19, 2014
    A new report, released in advance of United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Summit on 23 September, claims that more than US$100 trillion in cumulative public and private spending could be saved and 1,700 megatons of annual carbon dioxide (CO2) - a 40 percent reduction of urban passenger transport emissions - could be eliminated by 2050 if the world expands public transportation, walking and cycling in cities. The report, A Global High Shift Scenario, from the Institute for Transportation Development
    Read More
  • Remote remedies help US authorities identify bridge deficiencies
    September 6, 2017
    Every day 185 million vehicles – cars, trucks, school buses, emergency response units - cross one or more of America’s 55,710 'structurally compromised' steel and concrete road bridges, the highest concentration of which are in Iowa (nearly 5,000), Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Nearly 2,000 of these crossings are located on interstate highways, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association's recent analysis of the US Department of Transportation's 2016 National Bridge Inventory.
    Read More

Highlighted Content