West Midlands has most dangerous roads in Britain
The West Midlands has the most dangerous roads in the country, according to official figures.
There were 37,153 people hurt or killed in the region between 2011 and 2015 – making it the most lethal area to drive a car in the country.
But residents are less likely to be a casualty in a road accident with just one in 155 likely to be hurt or killed on the road.
The analysis from government statistics revealed that Staffordshire was the 16th most dangerous part of the country to travel through by car with 19,577 people hurt or killed over the period.
But one in 56 people were likely to be involved in a serious collision, the research shows based on population.
The most dangerous stretches of road had 30mph speed limits – making up 57 per cent of all accidents that led to injury or death.
The next most dangerous was 60mph, followed by 40mph zones.
The data suggests you’re odds on to crash on a Thursday – and least likely on Mondays – according to the figures.
There were 16,850 people hurt or killed in the West Mercia police area over the four-year period which ranks it as the 22nd most dangerous region out of 55.
And a ratio of one in 72 people were likely to be involved.
Experts have warned motorists to be careful on the roads over Easter and the summer with more people expected to be holidaying in Britain due to current exchange rates.
A spokesman for Witter Towbars, which gathered the research, said: “This year the UK is set to experience a significant rise in the number of staycations, with record numbers of people exploring the length and breadth of the British Isles.
“This is great news for many businesses – including us- as many people will choose to explore the UK with a trailer or caravan in tow.
"In our industry, we encourage staycations but we also promote safety.
“So, when we came across raw data that detailed the frequency and locations of road accidents across England, Wales and Scotland, we decided to analyse the statistics in-depth to determine which areas experience the most road casualties.
“We hope that exposing such statistics will make road users more alert when travelling to their desired destinations.”
Thames Valley – the area that covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire – had the second most number of serious road accidents with 36,778.
West Yorkshire had 36,567, Kent had 33,591, and Hampshire had 28,945 to make up the five most dangerous places to drive.
Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland had the fewest number of incidents with 1,894.
