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There are many dangerous roads in the world, such as Bolivia's
North Jungas Road (aptly nicknamed; "the road of death") with
its lack of crash barriers, high altitude and narrow
stretches, right through to the beautiful but deadly Sichuan
Highway in China.
The UK has its fair share of dangerous roads too, but you
might be surprised to hear that it isn't our congested
motorways that are the most dangerous to traverse.
In fact, it's the A roads that carry the highest risk of
injury or fatality; they might be some of the most scenic
drives this country has to offer but they are also the least
safe, with many a blind corner or junction hidden away and
waiting to surprise the unsuspecting driver.
So let's take a look at the top 10 most dangerous roads the UK
has to offer:
-
A537 (Macclesfield - Buxton) – A beautiful
but deadly 12km stretch of road which traverses the Peak
district between Cheshire and Derbyshire. Made dangerous by;
severe bends, steep drops, dry stone wall edging and heavy
goods vehicles.
-
A255 (Margate – Ramsgate) – An 8km stretch
of dangerous road with 22 junctions and a high level of
injury in particular for pedestrians/cyclists in the last
few years. This is also a road bikers should be wary of and
definitely worth a slow run to get your bearings and make
you aware of any hazards.
-
A62 (M62 J27 – A6110) – A 65km stretch of
road between Manchester and Leeds which crosses the Pennines
making for spectacular views. Don't be lulled into a false
sense of security though, with its 44 junctions, poor road
surfacing and blind corners, it's most definately one of the
UK's most deadly roads.
-
A621 (A619 - Totley) – A 9km stretch with
12 collisions reported in the space of 2 years (between 2006
– 2008) and with further reports of a number of accidents in
the meantime. Due to the high number of HGV's and rush hour
traffic that travels down this stretch of road, it can get
very congested
-
A5025 (Llanfairpwllgwyngyll – Valley, Anglesey)
– A 53km stretch of road on the island of Anglesey in Wales,
one of the larger roads on the island and well used, its
verges are dotted with many floral tribute spots, attesting
to its dangerous nature. With a limited number of safe
places to overtake on this road, and a speed limit which is
too high in places, accidents on this stretch of road have
been rife over the years.
-
A675 (Bolton) – A 7km stretch of road but
dangerous none-the-less; the single lane carriageway has
seen a decrease in accidents over the last few years but
still remains one of the most dangerous short stretches of
road in the country.
-
A5004 (Whaley Bridge – Buxton) – A 12km
stretch of road which had 24 accidents in one particularly
bad 6 year period and with accidents still continuing on a
fairly regular basis. It runs through the Peak District
National Park, making it particularly scenic but with sharp
bends in places and occasional straying livestock; make sure
you keep your eyes on the road instead of the scenery.
-
A285 (A27 – Petworth) – A 19km stretch of
road, responsible for 38 crashes between 2003 and 2008
alone. A fast moving road with twisty sections, tight bends
and blind junctions, which can be a treacherous road for the
unfamiliar motorist.
-
A5012 (A515 – A6) – A 15km stretch of road
with a high number of accidents and fatalities over the last
decade, a large number of which involved pedestrians or
cyclists. A narrow road with many twists and turns and
bordered by trees which make it hazardous for those for
don’t stick to the signed speed limits.
-
A54 (Congleton – Buxton) – A 24km stretch
of road (and one of a number of dangerous roads within
Derbyshire). Forming part of the "Cat and the Fiddle"
network (along with parts of the A537), it's a picturesque
drive but the single lane carriageway can be treacherous for
those who don't know the area.
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