Drivers warned over dangers on rural roads

As many as 44 per cent of men have broken the 60mph speed limit on rural roads, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found.

The survey, based on responses from 1,000 UK drivers, showed that in the past year 24 per cent of male drivers and 18 per cent of women motorists admitted overtaking when they could not be certain nothing was coming.

A total of 24 per cent of women admitted breaking 60mph rural road speed limits, while 20 per cent of men and nine per cent of women were involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident while driving in the past year.

More than half (52 per cent) of women and 44 per cent of men have been afraid when travelling as a passenger when their driver has overtaken another vehicle in the last 12 months.

Brake senior campaign officer Ellen Booth said: “Overtaking dangerously or driving too fast on rural roads puts yourself and others in grave danger, risking needless deaths and injuries.”

Direct Line car insurance spokesman Simon Henrick said: “More than three people die on rural roads in the UK each and every day and many of these deaths could be prevented.”