National Farmers Union Mutual want to reduce deaths on rural roads across West Midlands
Data analysed by the group from Department of Transport showed 104 fatalities occurred on rural roads in the region in 2023
Rural insurer the National Farmers Union Mutual are calling on more to be done to reduce the number of deaths happening on rural roads across the West Midlands.
Data analysed by the group from Department of Transport figures showed 104 fatalities occurred on rural roads in the West Midlands in 2023 - almost double the number of deaths on urban roads which was 58, with 969 people dying on rural roads in Britain in 2023.
NFU Mutual say along with four UK farming unions, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Farm Safety Foundation, British Horse Society and Older Drivers Forum, they've created a code for countryside roads to try and bring down those numbers.
Rural road safety specialist at NFU Mutual Andrew Chalk says they want to educate people on what the risks are to driving on these roads.
"Every road death is a tragedy, so ultimately we want to reduce that number as much as we possibly can," he said.
"Everyone can, and should do more to keep themselves and others safe on rural roads, it's why we've developed the code for countryside roads, and why we're going to continue those conversations to help drive forward rural road safety and the unique hazards of them roads.
"Treat speed limits as limits, not targets, don't drive faster than you feel comfortable with and don't pressure someone else in front of you if they're clearly not comfortable driving more quickly.
"You might be driving in a national speed limit area at one moment, then that might come down to a 30 mile per hour limit, so it's really about driving that awareness of how you should and can act on rural roads."
The NFU Mutual published their findings as part of their 2024 Rural Road Safety Report.