Central Bedfordshire is the most dangerous place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in the East of England
Research from Slater and Gordon say it's down to the rural nature of the area
New research shows that Central Bedfordshire is the most dangerous place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in the East of England.
Law firm Slater and Gordon have released the figures ahead of Road Safety Week next week.
They found that between 2018-2020, there were over 1,500 crashes in Central Bedfordshire alone.
Across the east of England as a whole, they found 58% of people in our region reported having a slight injury after a crash, with 38% stating serious injury when involved in a road accident.
When looking at pedestrians though, our region had the lowest figure for slight injuries, with 11% reporting minor wounds following a crash.
The detailed look at the number and the severity of road traffic accidents in the UK has been released in a white paper evaluating the current safety of Britain's roads.
Matt Jarvis from the firm spoke to us about their findings.
What accounts for the comparatively high volume of crashes?
"Central Bedfordshire is a little more rural. There's obviously higher speed limits, more motorways and more A-roads. So people tend to drive faster so when a collision happens it's more likely to lead to a serious injury"
"You've still got some populated areas were there are 30mph and 20mph speed limits so when accidents happen at those speeds they're less likely to lead to inquires"
What would you advise we do to avoid accidents?
"Look out for one another and be more considerate, stick to speed limits. Rushing around is not safe! If you're taking chances and driving above the speed limit: you're increasing the risk of having an accident"