The A8 in Scotland has been named the UK’s most dangerous road.

In 2017, some 227 accidents were recorded on the A8 (M) – Britain’s shortest motorway – an undesirable title it shared with Britain’s longest, the M6.

This means the A8 (M) – which runs from Edinburgh to Greenock via Glasgow – saw an average of four accidents every week. The motorway is only 42.9 miles long, a fifth of the length of the 232-mile M6.

Behind the A8 (M) and M6 was the A30 in Devon, which saw 213 accidents in 2017, and the A35 in Dorset (173 accidents).

These figures were published by car leasing firm UK Carline after receiving responses to Freedom of Information requests from 27 UK police forces.

Jonathan Nolan, UK Carline’s general manager, said the numbers were “eye-opening” regarding safety on UK roads.

“Although the government and councils regularly enforce new driving laws and take steps to help people drive safely, we must take more care whilst driving and ensure our vehicles have adequate safety features,” he commented.

“We hope our research has brought to light the dangers of driving on these particular roads and encourage people to be more aware of their surroundings to protect their safety.”

Despite the concerns raised by the research, road deaths in Scotland hit a record low last year.

Some 146 people were killed on Scotland’s roads in 2017 – 24 per cent less or 45 fewer than the year before – while casualties dropped by 14 per cent, from 10,905 to 9,391.

Ben Robb, brand manager at Dieselink, commented: “It isn’t a positive thing to be home to Britain’s most dangerous road, but overall, it looks like Scotland’s roads are becoming safer.”