Rural Road Safety
Making rural roads safer for everyone.
Our aim is to make rural roads a safer place to be for anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the countryside - from motorists, motorcyclists and agricultural vehicle drivers to horse riders, pedestrians and cyclists.
We’ve created a Code for Countryside Roads to bring together expert knowledge and advice to make rural roads safer for everyone. Download the document to find out more.
Sharing the road. Respecting others.
In 2020 we launched our Rural Road Safety campaign in response to the disproportionate risk and tragic, avoidable loss of life on rural roads. Its aim was to raise awareness of the unique hazards of rural roads among all road users to help reduce avoidable casualties.
Our analysis of the latest official Department for Transport figures in our Rural Road Safety Report reflects a persistent trend of danger on rural roads.
In 2023:
- The number of lives lost on rural roads was 70% higher than on urban highways
- Collisions on rural roads were around four times more likely to result in a fatality than on an urban one.
For more rural road safety figures and trends, access our latest Report here.
Code for Countryside Roads
We are continuing our work to help keep our countryside as safe as it can be.
With support from partners, we have created a Code for Countryside Roads, bringing together expert knowledge and advice to make rural roads safer for everyone. The aim is to provide a clear guide to how people should use rural roads.
The Code has been developed following consultation with experts, groups and feedback from over 700 members of the public. Read our Code for Countryside Roads, here.
Guidance and Advice
To help road users navigate the unique hazards of rural roads, we have worked with our partners to produce guidance articles on rural road safety.
