Code for Countryside Roads released due to high death rate

NFU Mutual has introduced a Code for Countryside Roads to address the high fatality rate on rural roads and enhance safety for vulnerable road users throughout the UK.

The Code for Countryside Roads initiative developed in collaboration with NFU Mutual, the four UK farming unions, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Farm Safety Foundation, the British Horse Society, and the Older Drivers Forum, aims to guide people on using rural roads safely.

The code, which is available online, includes specific advice for drivers of tractors and agricultural vehicles, as well as car drivers, riders and cyclists. 

This advice incudes making regular brake checks, indicating well in advance, and installing both front and rear facing webcams. 

See also: Farmers reminded of road safety after fatal tractor collision

Department for Transport data reveals that rural roads have 70% more fatalities than urban highways, despite having less than half the number of collisions.

Nick Turner, chief executive of NFU Mutual, said: “The Code has been developed in consultation with our campaign partners and based on feedback from over 700 members of the public.

“It is available to everyone, free of charge, on the NFU Mutual website, and we hope it will help steer a course towards safer rural roads for all.”

NFU Mutual’s 2024 Rural Road Safety Report highlights that crashes on rural roads are approximately four times more likely to result in a fatality than an urban collision.

In 2023, one in every 32 collisions (969 out of 31,183) on rural roads resulted in a death, compared to one in every 122 (571 out of 69,706) on urban roads.

Rural roads

“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,” said Mr Turner.

“Every road death is an avoidable tragedy, and every road user has a responsibility to protect themselves and others.

“However, the disparity in safety between urban and rural roads and the higher risk shouldered by vulnerable road users suggests that more can be done.”

A November survey by NFU Mutual found that 13% of people had been involved in a collision on a rural road, with the figure rising to 19% for rural residents.

Safety concerns

Over 20% of respondents said they felt uncomfortable on rural roads, with a third of non-drivers expressing similar concerns.

The survey revealed key safety concerns: 56% of people were worried about blind corners, over half were concerned about narrow roads, and 24% cited agricultural traffic as a major issue.

Almost a third of respondents expressed concern about sharing rural roads with vulnerable road users, particularly horses and riders.

In a survey of 250 horse owners and riders, NFU Mutual discovered that 29% had been involved in a collision on a rural road, while 35% had experienced their horse being injured or killed in such incidents.

Furthermore, one in four riders reported feeling uncomfortable riding on countryside roads. 

You can download and print the Code for Countryside Roads.