The A698 in the Scottish Borders has been revealed as the UK’s most dangerous road for drivers.
Analysis of driving alerts triggered by vehicle telematics technology has produced the findings, which are based on ‘alert events’ – such as harsh braking, cornering and acceleration.
The 11 mile stretch of single carriageway between Kelso and Jedburgh has an average of 19.25 alert events per vehicle – more than five times the rate seen in London. It has recorded a number of fatalities from road traffic collisions in recent years, due to excessive speed and dangerous driving.
All 77 alerts on this road were harsh braking events, pointing to sharp bends, limited visibility and concealed junctions that force drivers into sudden stops.
The A6 through Darley Dale near Matlock in the Derbyshire Peak District came in a close second, recording 18.50 alerts per vehicle.
Unlike the Scottish Borders, the A6’s problems are almost entirely down to harsh cornering. The road’s notorious twists and turns through the Derwent Valley are clearly catching drivers out, with 37 cornering alerts triggered across the study period.
By comparison, London, which recorded the highest raw volume of alerts overall, averaged just 3.69 events per vehicle, placing it 12th in the rankings.
While the capital’s roads see more incidents in total due to sheer traffic volume, drivers are statistically far less likely to trigger a dangerous driving alert in London than on rural roads in Scotland, Wales or the Midlands.
Richard Blown, chief technology officer at Ram Tracking, the company that produced the data, said: “Most people would assume London is the most dangerous place to drive in the UK, but our data tells a different story.
“When you look at the rate of dangerous driving events per vehicle, it’s actually roads like the A698 in the Scottish Borders and the A6 through the Peak District that pose the greatest risk. These roads see far fewer vehicles, but the ones that do travel through are significantly more likely to encounter hazardous conditions.”
The Top 10 most dangerous roads in the UK*
- Scottish Borders A698, Kelso to Jedburgh
- Matlock, Derbyshire A6, Darley Dale
- Dunfermline, Fife A907, M90 corridor
- Edinburgh City centre
- Cardiff City centre roads
- Chelmsford, Essex A12 corridor
- Isle of Man Rural roads
- South Wales Valleys A470, Pontypridd
- Sevenoaks, Kent A21, A25 roads
- Maidstone, Kent Rural Kent roads
*Source: Ram Tracking
