A RECENT study has revealed the North East areas with the least and most safest drivers according to the number of road acccidents.

Car insurance experts at Quotezone has created a “safe driver index score” after analysing car accident statistics from across the UK.

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The study gives a driver index score out of 100 to different local authority areas across the UK.

By collecting and analysing car accident statistics from across the UK, a “safe driver index score” was created, determining which UK region has the safest and least safest drivers.

Here is how local authorities across the North East ranked from best to worst (higher is better): 

-       Newcastle-upon-Tyne: 57.65/100

-       North Tyneside: 57.65/100

-       South Tyneside: 57.65/100

-       Gateshead: 57.65/100

-       Hartlepool: 56.15/100

-       Stockton-on-Tees: 56.15/100

-       Darlington: 55.13/100

-       County Durham: 48.23/100

-       Redcar and Cleveland: 48.55/100

-       Middlesbrough: 48.55/100

-       Richmondshire: 34.6/100

-       Hambleton: 34.6/100

-       Ryedale: 34.6/100

-       Scarborough: 34.6/100

You can see how the North East compares in this interactive map below:

The data shows that Newcastle and surrounding areas are the best with a driver index score of 57.65.

However, it also reveals that North Yorkshire has the worst driver index score of 34.6.

Although North Yorkshire doesn’t fall within the top 10 areas with the least safe drivers across the UK, it comes close and still falls within the “least safe drivers” parameters.

Ian Conlan, North Yorkshire coordinator for the 20’s Plenty For Us Campaign, said that North Yorkshire County Council need “to take speed limits seriously.”

Quotezone said it created the index based on population, number of licensed vehicles, number of road accidents and number of road casualties.

The data revealed that North Yorkshire scored a driver score of just 34.6 out of 100.

The 20’s Plenty For Us campaign has been working to encourage North Yorkshire County Council to enforce a 20mph speed limit across the county.

The campaign now has 104 parish councils backing it, who Ian Conlan says represent around 100,000 people.

He added: “I think that most communities have main roads and minor raids as well that now want to be part of the 20mph speed limit.

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“We urge North Yorkshire County Council to take speed limits more seriously.

“We also have 7 town councils backing our current campaign for a default 20mph speed limit.”

However, Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of business and environment, said it was “not appropriate” to apply a country-wide 20mph speed limit.

He said: “A revised 20mph speed limit policy is currently going through its approval process following a review by a task group set up by the Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

“This review, which reported its conclusions this year, heard from traffic engineers, road safety and public health officers, North Yorkshire Police and the 20’s Plenty campaign group.

“The task group resolved that it is not appropriate to apply a countywide default 20mph speed limit.

"It must be self-enforcing, without relying on police intervention."

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You can find more out about the study here

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