Region has worst road crash rate

The report says investment in road safety is low in Yorkshire

Drivers in the Yorkshire and Humber region are more likely to be killed or injured in an accident than anywhere else in England, a report has revealed.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) says that in 2007 there were 3,215 serious injury road accidents in the region, 281 of them fatal.

That gives England's worst rate of 458.9 casualties per 100,000 people.

"Put simply, you are more likely to suffer an injury on the roads of this region than anywhere else," it said.

The IAM also says investment in the region's roads and road safety measures is low compared with other regions.

'Investment low'

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "There are more motorists than ever in Yorkshire and Humberside and the injury rate per head of population is the highest in England.

"In addition, investment in roads and road safety is particularly low, compared with other nearby regions such as the East Midlands and the North East.

"The government has placed a strong emphasis on road safety, by proposing challenging 2020 casualty reduction targets and a fair deal for drivers.

"However, a lot of work still needs to be done to iron out the unacceptable variation in investment and casualty rates across the country."