The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has asked for a rural A-roads section to be added to the driving test, as stats show that 82% of rural fatalities happen on them.
According to an IAM report about rural roads, of the nine people that die on Britain's roads every day, six of them are on rural ones. Two-thirds of the rural road crashes happen on non-motorways with 60- or 70mph speed limits.
The fast, sweeping nature of rural A-roads, combined with low forward visibility due to roadside trees and other obstacles, make the risk of dangerous accidents high; driver error is a contributor in two-thirds of rural road accidents, and two thirds of those killed are drivers. A quarter are front seat passengers.
The IAM's chief executive Simon Best said: "Roads where drivers are most frequently killed and injured are still not consistently part of the driving test. The Government recently announced young drivers would be allowed to use motorways when accompanied by an instructor, but it is single carriageway A-roads where the real problem lies.
"Driver and rider error is a contributory factor in two thirds of accidents. We can only improve our cars and roads so far. The challenge now is to improve the humans that drive them, to continue our outstanding record of road safety."
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