• Important Notice
  • There may be changes to Council services over the Bank Holiday period, including bin collections.
  • Accessibility Options
  •  

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Logo

Rural roads pose high risks, accounting for well over half of all fatal crashes. Cyclists, motorcyclists and car drivers are more than three times as likely to be killed per mile travelled on a rural road than an urban road.  Speed is often a major factor in rural road crashes.

THINK-country roads-helpful hazards film from THINK! Road Safety on Vimeo.

Why are rural roads so dangerous?
Many rural roads are narrow, with blind bends and brows and limited safe places to pass. They often don't have pavements or cycle paths, yet are frequently used by some of the most vulnerable road users such as people riding or walking.
 
Many rural roads have poor road surface conditions and limited or no crash protection (such as no crash barriers either at the side or in the middle of the road).

Traffic often includes vehicles travelling at a wide variety of speeds, including slow-moving farm vehicles. There may also be animals, spillages or tree branches in the carriageway.