Nottingham is 'among most dangerous places in the UK to drive'

A photograph of two cars which have crashed into each other. Serious damage has been caused to the bumper of the cream-coloured car facing the camera.
-Credit:Getty Images.


Nottingham is one of most dangerous places in the UK to drive in, according to a new study. A report based on Department for Transport data shows an average of 722 crashes per one billion miles driven were recorded in the city between 2018 and 2023.

This is more than twice the national average - 335 crashes per billion miles - and places the city as among the 10 most dangerous areas in the UK to drive in outside London. Blackpool tops the list, with an average of 976 crashes per billion miles between 2018 and 2023, followed by Kingston upon Hull, with 943, the Isles of Scilly, with 936, and Luton, with 856.

Southampton, Reading, and Blackburn with Darwen also come ahead of Nottingham, with 781, 748, and 734 respectively. Nottingham ranked ninth, followed by Liverpool, which was 10th in the table, with an average of 678 crashes per billion miles.

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Moray in Scotland was the safest place in the UK, with just 82 crashes per billion miles driven. The study was conducted by Tollwayr, which provides information and services for people driving in Europe.

The company's CEO M.E. Wijnmalen said, “These findings highlight the importance of prioritising road safety measures, especially in areas with higher collision rates. While it’s not guaranteed to have a collision driving through any of these areas, you must prioritise your own safety on the road as much as anyone else’s. "This is especially important with winter coming up, which is expected to change certain driving experiences across the UK drastically.”

Last year Nottinghamshire Live conducted a study into the most dangerous roads in the city. It found the A52 was the most dangerous road in the city between 2018 and 2022, with 94 serious and 10 fatal incidents recorded on the road from Nottingham Road, Bottesford, to where it passes over the River Erewash near Sandiacre.

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The 35-mile stretch of the A1 between Shire Dyke to just before River Torne was also found to be particularly dangerous, with 61 serious and nine fatal incidents. The 32 miles of the A46 stretching from just after the exit for Willoughby on Wolds to the Collingham exit after Newark was also found to be a blackspot, with 66 serious and 14 fatal incidents.

The UK's most dangerous areas outside London to drive in - full ranking

  • Blackpool - 976 crashes per billion miles;

  • Kingston upon Hull - 943 crashes per billion miles;

  • Isles of Scilly - 936 crashes per billion miles;

  • Luton - 856 crashes per billion miles;

  • Brighton and Hove - 851 crashes per billion miles;

  • Southampton - 781 crashes per billion miles;

  • Reading - 748 crashes per billion miles;

  • Blackburn with Darwen - 734 crashes per billion miles;

  • Nottingham - 722 crashes per billion miles;

  • Liverpool - 678 crashes per billion miles.