Wales's 'most dangerous' road

The A44 is not meant for lorries, say residents

The A44 from Llangurig to Aberystwyth has been named as Wales's most dangerous road in a study by a motoring organisation.

The route running from mid to west Wales, ranks as the 24th most dangerous route out of 800 surveyed across the UK.

Norman Michel: 'People do not seem to care'

Six others in Wales gained only a one star rating in the study by AA-led EuroRAP (European Road Assessment Programme).

However, seven roads in Wales were awarded a four-star rating - an award given to the safest places to be driving - including the M4 (Junction 29 to 49) the M48 and the M4 (Junction 17 to Junction 24).

As the list was published on Monday, the motoring group warned that people are dying needlessly on British roads because of a lack of basic safety features.

Calling for improved safety, the AA said: "People should not be dying on major roads because basic protection is absent from entirely predictable collisions."

But Zoe Stowe of RoadPeace - set up in 1992 in response to the increasing need for a national organisation to represent and support road traffic victims - said the issue needed to be put into perspective.

We have to make roads more forgiving - everyday human error shouldn't carry a death sentence

John Dawson of the AA

"Roads do not kill. It is the people that drive on them," she said.

Resident Norman Michel said: "These roads were not meant for 40ft long lorries, but people do not seem to care."

John Dawson, AA policy director and chairman of EuroRAP (European Road Assessment Programme), said simple road improvements could cut the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2,400.

"We have to make roads more forgiving - everyday human error shouldn't carry a death sentence," he said.

Mr Dawson said road safety was too often neglected while continued improvements were expected from car manufacturers.

"We cannot demand five-star cars from manufacturers and then settle for one-star roads," he added.

At the top of the list, an eight-mile stretch of the A889 near Dalwhinnie in Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands has an accident rate almost double that of any other.

The star ratings were given for the safety performance of the roads, mainly outside built-up areas, in relation to the amount of traffic they carry and the length of the road measured.

Over the study period the AA concluded there was an average of 62 fatal accident for every 0.62 billion miles (one billion kilometres) travelled.