Rural Road Safety Report reveals extreme rural risks
The latest NFU Rural Road Safety Report has revealed that nearly 10,000 people have lost their lives on rural roads in the last decade.
It found that there were 9,884 fatalities on rural roads in the last 10 years, while in 2024 there were 72% more road deaths on rural roads than urban roads, and 10 times more than on motorways.
The report also found that progress in reducing rural road fatalities has largely stagnated since 2012, despite wider advances in vehicle safety and road safety interventions.
Nick Turner, chief executive, NFU Mutual, said: “In the 10 years to the end of 2024, 10,000 lives were lost on Britain’s rural roads. This staggering loss of life becomes even more concerning when considering that people are significantly more likely to lose their lives on countryside roads than any other type of road.
“The unique hazards found on rural roads, from blind corners and junctions to inappropriate speed limits, to navigating vulnerable road users and agricultural vehicles, mean that using countryside roads is fundamentally different to travelling on urban roads or motorways.
“It’s clear that something needs to change. After years of declining fatalities on rural roads, progress has stalled since around 2012. It’s not acceptable that Britain continues to lose around 1,000 people each year to rural road fatalities and more must be done to prevent this needless loss of life.”
