Wales is home to Britains’ most dangerous roads…but where does your area rank? 

• Powys and Ceredigion in Wales take first and second place with high numbers of people killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents
• England’s most dangerous roads are in Blackpool, while Scotland’s are in Argyll & Bute
• Bath and North-East Somerset is home to the safest roads in mainland Britain

A study has revealed that Britain’s most dangerous roads are in Powys, Wales.

The research by price comparison site Forbes Advisor compared the total number of road casualties in each local authority in Britain in 2021 with each area’s population to reveal the rate of deaths or serious injuries per 100,000 people.

The results show Powys as having the most dangerous roads in Britain, with 101 deaths or serious injuries per 100,000 people in 2021.

The second most dangerous roads in Britain are also in Wales. Last year, 69 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in Ceredigion, which when compared with the population translates to the second highest rate in the study.

Blackpool ranks third in the study for its treacherous roads. The research found that 82 people per 100,000 were killed or seriously injured on these roads in 2021.

In fourth place is the London borough of Westminster, which also saw a very similar proportion of people involved in serious or fatal traffic accidents.

Wales features for a third time in the top five for the number of people killed or seriously injured: Monmouthshire recorded 78 serious injuries or fatalities roads in 2021.

In contrast, Bath and North-East Somerset has the safest roads in mainland Britain, after 18 people out of a population of 196,357 were killed or seriously injured in 2021. 

Aberdeen City and East Dunbartonshire, both in Scotland, come second and third for Britain’s safest roads. Per 100,000 people, there were 12 deaths or serious injuries in Aberdeen City and 14 in East Dunbartonshire last year.

Wales makes a notable appearance in the list again, but this time it’s for a positive reason. The country’s second-largest city, Swansea, has one of the lowest rates of serious traffic accidents, with 15 people per 100,000 involved in them last year.

The full results of the research are as follows:

Most dangerous roads in Britain

Rank	Region or Country	Local authority	People killed or seriously injured in 2021	Population	Deaths or serious injuries per 100k people
1	Wales	Powys	135	133,030	101.136
2	Wales	Ceredigion	69	72,895	94.506
3	North West	Blackpool	114	138,381	82.381
4	London	Westminster	221	269,848	81.898
5	Wales	Monmouthshire	78	95,164	81.842
6	East Midlands	Lincolnshire	615	766,333	80.3
7	Wales	Pembrokeshire	94	126,751	74.461
8	South East	Portsmouth	151	214,692	70.225
9	South East	Isle of Wight	100	142,296	69.987
10	South West	Dorset	264	379,791	69.443

Safest roads in Britain

Rank	Region or Country	Local authority	People killed or seriously injured in 2021	Population	Deaths or serious injuries per 100k people
1	South West	Bath and North-East Somerset	18	196,357	9.32
2	Scotland	Aberdeen City	27	229,060	11.787
3	Scotland	East Dunbartonshire	15	108,750	13.793
4	Wales	Swansea	37	246,563	15.176
5	Wales	Cardiff	57	369,202	15.478
6	Scotland	North Lanarkshire	56	341,140	16.416
7	London	Harrow	42	252,338	16.644
8	Wales	Vale of Glamorgan	24	135,295	17.463
9	Wales	Merthyr Tydfil	11	60,424	18.383
10	Scotland	Moray	18	95,710	18.807

Including local authorities off the mainland, the Isles of Scilly has the safest roads in Britain, with no one killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents in 2021.

A Forbes Advisor spokesperson commented on the findings: “The two local authorities that reported the highest proportion of deaths or serious injuries last year are both located in Wales. 

“The relatively high number of people seriously injured or killed in traffic accidents in Wales could be down to the higher percentage of rural roads in the country, which typically see more casualties than roads in urban areas. 

“However, all parts of the country feature in our ‘Worst 10’ tables, so it’s important that drivers take the utmost care when behind the wheel.”

The study was conducted by Forbes Advisor, whose editorial team boasts decades of experience in the personal finance space. It is passionate about helping consumers make the financial decisions and choose the financial products that are right for their life and goals.    

The team brings rich industry knowledge to Forbes Advisor’s coverage of consumer credit, debt, banking, investing, insurance, loans, real estate and travel. Its priority is ensuring its coverage, reviews and advice is backed by research, deep expertise and strict methodologies.