A new report revealing that rural road fatalities are 72% higher than urban road fatalities is now out from NFU Mutual.

Accidents on rural roads are around four times more likely to result in a fatality

Its analysis of official Department for Transport figures indicates rural road deaths rocketed to a four-year high in 2022, with 1,017 people losing their lives on rural roads – that’s up 14% on the previous year and compares to a figure of 593 for urban road fatalities.

Tragically, accidents on rural roads are around four times more likely to result in a fatality. In 2022, an average of one in every 31 accidents (1017 of 31,395) on rural highways resulted in a death, compared to one in every 120 (593 of 71,151) on urban roads.

A survey conducted in November by NFU Mutual found that one in seven people had been in an accident on a rural road, and one in five admit to being uncomfortable driving on rural roads.

NFU Mutual has plans to create a Code for Countryside Roads to bring together expert knowledge and advice to make rural roads safer for everyone. This builds on its existing rural road safety campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the unique hazards of rural roads to support all road users to reduce avoidable casualties.

Nick Turner, chief executive of NFU Mutual, said: “Every road death is one too many, and we believe serious conversations need to happen to make rural roads safer for everyone.

“That is why we are today announcing a Code for Countryside Roads, which will take in feedback and advice from experts and groups to provide a clear guide to how people should use rural roads.

“We all need to work together to ensure we keep our countryside as safe as it can be.”

It’s inviting members of the public along with road safety experts to get in touch to feed into the Code for Countryside Roads. More details are here.