Rural roads twice as deadly as urban highways in Scotland, figures reveal

There were more than double the number of fatalities on Scotland’s rural roads than urban highways in 2023.

Department For Transport figures analysed by the National Farmers Union show there were 99 deaths on rural roads in Scotland compared with 48 on urban roads last year.

The research showed that throughout Britain there were 70% more deaths on rural roads than urban roads, despite there being fewer than half the number of collisions.

Publishing its findings in the 2024 Rural Road Safety Report, NFU Mutual found that collisions on rural roads are around four times more likely to result in a fatality.

In 2023, an average of one in every 32 collisions (969 of 31,183) on rural highways resulted in a death, compared to one in every 122 (571 of 69,706) on urban roads.

Chiefs say the statistics reflect a “persistent trend of disproportionate danger on rural roads and the tragic and avoidable loss of hundreds of lives each year in the UK’s countryside.”

Nick Turner, chief executive of NFU Mutual, said: “Rural roads are the arteries of our countryside, vital to the rural economy and serving to connect us all to the benefits of the great outdoors.

“It is therefore all the more concerning that each year a vastly disproportionate number of lives are lost on rural roads. As the leading rural insurer with customers and Agents living and working in rural communities across the UK, we are keenly aware of the importance of countryside roads and the distress and disruption caused by collisions – particularly on the sad occasions where a life is lost.

“Every road death is an avoidable tragedy, and every road user has a responsibility to protect themselves and others, but the disparity in safety between urban and rural roads and the higher risk shouldered by vulnerable road users suggests that more can be done.

“That is why NFU Mutual has been campaigning for several years to improve rural road safety by raising awareness of the risks inherent to countryside roads, and why we are proud to publish a Code for Countryside Roads to provide a clear guide on how people should use rural roads.

“The Code has been developed in consultation with our campaign partners and based on feedback from over 700 members of the public. It is available to everyone, free of charge, on the NFU Mutual website and we hope it will help steer a course towards safer rural roads for all.”

A spokesperson for Road Safety Scotland said: “Far too many people were tragically killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads last year. Over a third of those casualties occurred on single carriageway roads with a national speed limit of 60mph.

“With many of Scotland’s national speed limits located in rural areas, these figures emphasise the need to address rural road safety.

“Transport Scotland recently launched a national speed management review consultation to gather views on changes to speed limits, including for HGVs, to ensure they are safe and effective. The proposals aim to reduce casualties while maintaining reliable journey times for all road users.”

NFU Mutual has partnered with the four UK farming unions, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Farm Safety Foundation, British Horse Society and Older Drivers Forum to create a Code for Countryside Roads.

Members of the public can access, download and print the Code for Countryside Roads at www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralroads.