The UK's Most Dangerous and Safest Roads Revealed: Top 10 Rankings

JD Spicer Zeb has analysed the latest UK Government road safety statistics for 2024 to understand where collisions occur, who is affected, and what this means for road safety across the country. The data covers local authorities in the UK, detailing the total number of collisions, fatal collisions, and casualties broken down by road user.

What emerges is a clear picture of imbalance, with some local authorities experiencing far more collisions than others. Factors such as traffic density, road type, and speed limits can all play a role in shaping these outcomes, affecting everyone from drivers and passengers to pedestrians and cyclists.

In more serious cases, collisions may lead to criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of road awareness and legal understanding.

To bring these contrasts into focus, we have compiled top 10 lists of the local authorities with the most and least dangerous roads, highlighting where accidents are most common.

In this blog, we’ll dive into these regional variations and analyse the factors contributing to collisions. We’ll also touch on what to do if you’re arrested or investigated for a driving offence, so you know your rights and the steps to take if you ever find yourself in that situation.

Top 10 Local Authorities with the Most Dangerous Roads

Kent, Surrey, and Essex top the list with the highest number of road collisions recorded in 2024, followed closely by Birmingham and Hampshire. These areas feature busy commuter routes, high traffic volumes, and extensive motorway networks, which may increase the likelihood of accidents. Kent, Surrey and Birmingham also have a high number of casualties, which indicated that these collisions are more likely to be serious.

While the data shows that the majority of casualties involve car occupants, notable numbers of pedestrians and motorcyclists are also affected. In Birmingham, the number of pedestrian casualties (615) was significantly higher than the number of motorcyclists (166). While in the more rural area of Hampshire, motorcyclists (381) were more likely to be at risk than pedestrians (285).

Rather surprisingly, rural counties such as Lincolnshire and Norfolk appear in the top 10 most dangerous roads. This is possibly due to the presence of high-speed country roads, where collisions, although less frequent, may be more likely to be serious or fatal. The highest number of fatal collisions is recorded in Lincolnshire, which may be due to the presence of more high speed rural roads.

This research is more than just numbers: it highlights where road safety interventions, from improved infrastructure to public awareness campaigns, could have the greatest impact, helping to reduce both injuries and legal consequences for drivers.

Top 10 Local Authorities with the Safest Roads

At the other end of the scale, the Isles of Scilly, Shetland Islands, and Orkney Islands recorded the lowest number of collisions in 2024, followed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Clackmannanshire. These results aren’t particularly surprising, as these areas tend to have smaller populations, slower roads, and lower traffic density, all of which naturally reduce the likelihood of accidents.

The Isle of Anglesey still had surprisingly the highest number of casualties (61) considering the low number of vehicle miles travelled on these roads.

It’s important to acknowledge that even in these safer areas, collisions and casualties still occur. They often involve local drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians navigating rural roads where limited visibility and poor weather or uneven terrain can make driving conditions more hazardous.

In Merthyr Tydfil, while car occupants were still most likely to be affected (33) pedestrians (8) and motorcyclists (9) reported higher statistics than the other locations.

Overall, car occupants made up the majority of casualties across all 10 areas, which differs from the most dangerous roads that also involved other road users.

By understanding what makes these areas safer - whether it’s infrastructure, traffic patterns, or community awareness – we can draw valuable insights into how similar strategies could help reduce collisions and improve road safety across the UK.

What to Do If You’re Arrested or Investigated for a Driving Offence

While the statistics shed light on the scale of road collisions, they also serve as a reminder of the legal consequences that can follow serious driving incidents. Offences such as dangerous driving, careless driving, drink-driving, or failing to stop after an accident can result in arrest, prosecution, and even imprisonment.

If you are arrested or invited for a police interview, it is crucial to seek expert legal advice immediately. At JD Spicer Zeb, our criminal defence solicitors are available 24/7 to provide representation at the police station and throughout any legal proceedings. We work to protect your rights, review evidence, and achieve the best possible outcome, whether that means avoiding charges, reducing penalties, or defending your case in court.

With extensive experience in handling motoring offences, including fatal collision investigations, JD Spicer Zeb provides clear, practical advice to guide clients through what can be a stressful and complex legal process.

Been arrested for a motoring offence and need legal help?

For urgent specialist advice, immediate representation, or to speak to our solicitors confidentially about a driving offence, please call 020 7624 7771 or email solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form and we will get back to you quickly.

Methodology

This analysis draws on UK Government road safety statistics for 2024, examining total collisions, fatal collisions, casualty numbers, and road user categories across local authorities in the UK.

The top and bottom 10 lists are based on the total number of collisions, with fatal and casualty figures included to provide additional context.

Some areas were excluded due to incomplete data: Cumbria, Northamptonshire, Bournemouth, Dorset (including Christchurch), and Poole.

Additionally, London Airport (Heathrow) was removed from the initial list of the top 10 safest roads, as it does not constitute a local authority.

Please note that all interpretations presented here are those of the JD Spicer researchers.