A CODE for Countryside Roads has been launched to tackle the tragic and disproportionate loss of life on the UK’s rural roads.
NFU Mutual have put together the code in response to official figures showing there were more than double the number of fatalities on Scotland’s rural roads (99) than urban highways (48) in 2023.
And throughout Great Britain, there were 70 per cent more deaths on rural roads than urban roads, despite there being fewer than half the number of collisions.
Chief executive Nick Turner said: “Rural roads are the arteries of our countryside, vital to the rural economy and serving to connect us all to the benefits of the great outdoors.
“It is therefore all the more concerning that each year a vastly disproportionate number of lives are lost on rural roads.
“Every road death is an avoidable tragedy, and every road user has a responsibility to protect themselves and others, but the disparity in safety between urban and rural roads and the higher risk shouldered by vulnerable road users suggests that more can be done.
“That is why NFU Mutual has been campaigning for several years to improve rural road safety by raising awareness of the risks inherent to countryside roads, and why we are proud to publish a Code for Countryside Roads to provide a clear guide on how people should use rural roads.”
The code advises drivers to:
Plan the route before setting off
Don’t be complacent on familiar routes
Adjust and adapt to the conditions
Drive considerately and anticipate potential hazards
React to oncoming vehicles
Beware of countryside residents and farm activity
Be sensible about where you stop and avoid field entrances and farms
Adjust your speed to the conditions
Beware of blind corners
Navigate junctions carefully
Respect and protect vulnerable road users, including horse riders, motorbikers, cyclists and walkers
Walk, run and ramble safely
Ride bikes/horses respectfully
Be patient with agricultural vehicles
Operate farm machinery responsibly
- To access, download and print the code, go to www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralroads.
