FOUR A-roads with among the country’s the worst accident records have been handed more than £11.5m for road safety improvements.

Government figures show there were 332 casualties, ten of which were fatal and 96 serious on the major North Yorkshire routes between 2012 and 2017.

The lion’s share of the funding, £7m, will be used for changes to the A684 from Leeming Bar, through the Yorkshire Dales, to the M6, which has seen 47 fatal or serious accidents in the last six years.

Work will include an overhaul of the one-way system in Hawes to introduce new footways, a pedestrianised area and traffic signal control, and traffic signals at Appersett Bridge, Hawes and Spennithorne Bridge, near Leyburn.

Nearly £3m will be spent on changes to the A6108 from Ripon to Scotch Corner, which has seen 171 casualties since 2012, including an off-road route for cyclists and pedestrians from Bellerby to Leyburn and various traffic calming, parking and priority system works throughout the route.

Work costing £615,000 which includes improving skid resistance and creating a crash barrier will be carried out on the A682 Barrowford to the A65 at Long Preston.

Funding of £900,000 had previously been announced for work to improve safety on the A167 Topcliffe to Carlton Miniott road, which has been completed.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire County Council’s roads boss, said he was pleased the authority had been awarded the full amount it requested from the Government as it indicated the council was viewed as spending money wisely.

He said while the engineering works would lessen the risk of casualties on the county’s roads, motorists’ speeds and motorcyclists’ riding remained the principle causes

He added the council “recognise we are at the mercy of driver behaviour” in its efforts to tackle accidents. but said the council was also investing in several safety awareness training schemes.