Scotland's answer to Route 66, the North Coast 500, has been named the 'most dangerous' road trip in the UK.
The 516-mile long road trip, which covers the northern coasts of Scotland, had been surging in popularity over the past few years before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Now, a new study by the team at online auto trader specialists We Buy Broken Vans which dives into data on some of the UK’s most beloved road trips has found some sobering statistics.
In January alone, searches for UK Road Trips have increased by 142%, and are set to rise even further as we head into spring and restrictions are relaxed across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Using data collected from the Department of Transport - including information on Road Safety Data for Accidents from 2016-2020 - they mapped out each road trip to determine which route is the Most Dangerous Road Trip in the UK.
The research revealed that the North Coast 500, ranked by the RAC as the most popular Road Trip in the UK is also the most dangerous, at least in terms of total accidents.
Between 2016-2020 there were a total of 307 accidents along the popular Scottish route.
The Devon to Cornwall route in England is second with a total of 133 accidents within the same time frame. The picturesque Snowdonia route in Wales, which passes through a large portion of the National Park is 3rd with 125 accidents.
While the data analysed does not take into account the severity of the accident (slight, severe or fatal) it does highlight how vital tackling road safety is in the UK.
Reflecting on the results Dominic Hickman, lead consultant at We Buy Broken Vans hopes the research doesn’t put people off heading off to experience the UK’s best Road Trips.
He said: "While these results can be quite sobering, we believe it highlights something incredibly important, especially since more and more people are taking to the roads for their holidays this year.
"We never want to put people off exploring these amazing routes. It’s the complete opposite; these Road Trips are a true testament to the beauty and diversity that can be found in the UK and something that everyone should have the chance to experience.
"We hope this data shows just how important road safety and helps to remind people to stay safe and vigilant while out on UK roads, even they're out on holiday."
UK Roadtrips ranked by Total Accidents
Rank |
Name |
Distance (Miles) |
Accidents |
Accidents per Mile |
1 |
North Coast 500 |
516 |
307 |
0.59 |
2 |
Devon to Cornwall |
76 |
133 |
1.75 |
3 |
Snowdonia |
50 |
125 |
2.5 |
4 |
Giants Causeway |
101 |
122 |
1.2 |
5 |
Norfolk Coast |
93 |
116 |
1.24 |
6 |
Lake District |
44 |
109 |
2.4 |
7 |
Brecon Beacons |
192 |
83 |
0.43 |
8 |
Cotswolds |
70 |
82 |
1.17 |
9 |
Peak District |
40 |
68 |
1.7 |
10 |
North York Moors |
42 |
32 |
0.76 |
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