Drivers up and down the country need to be aware of the considerable dangers they could face when travelling on country roads.

This is the view of the Department for Transport, which has published some startling statistics as part of the launch of a new imitative to reduce risk for motorists travelling in rural areas as part of the ongoing Think! road safety campaign.

According to government data, 25 per cent of motorists have reported a near miss when driving on a country road, while one in 20 have been involved in a collision.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of drivers admit to having been surprised by an unexpected hazard, such as an animal, while as many as one-third of vehicle owners state they regularly drive too fast into bends, despite not knowing what may lie up ahead.

Overall, 60 per cent of fatal accidents reported on the UK's roads each year have been shown to take place on rural routes – highlighting the considerable dangers individuals face.

Road safety minister Robert Goodwill said: "Britain's roads are among the safest in the world, but most people don't know that motorists are nearly 11 times more likely to die in an accident on a country road than on a motorway. On average, three people die each day on country roads and these are needless tragedies.

"I want the public to understand these risks and adapt their driving to the conditions they face."

Indeed, the new campaign advises all travellers on rural routes to better read the road ahead of them and to anticipate potential hazards, ensuring they tailor their speed both to the conditions they face and the range of visibility they have ahead of them.

Finally, drivers are also being urged to give vulnerable road users – such as horse riders and cyclists – plenty of room when overtaking.

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This story was posted by Daniel Crosby, Assistant Marketing Executive at the Fuel Card Group.