DANGEROUS roads across the region have been named and shamed as some of the worst in Europe by a damning report.

Drivers are dicing with death every day on some of the busiest routes throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire, the AA motoring organisation has warned.

During an 18-month study carried out by the AA, researchers examined 2,000 roads across Europe, including more than 800 in Britain, and awarded ratings from zero to four stars.

North Yorkshire heads the North's list of shame, with nine stretches of road receiving the lowest mark.

The notorious A59, from Harrogate to Skipton, is ranked the 27th worst road in the country, while the A170 from Thirsk to Scarborough comes 66th.

In County Durham, the A688 from Barnard Castle to the A68 is branded the 69th most perilous route in Britain. The A690 from Durham City to Sunderland and the A691 from Durham to Leadgate both only manage two stars.

The Brough to Scotch Corner stretch of the notorious A66 is also featured in the report, receiving two stars.

The Northern Echo has joined campaigners in fighting for the road, the scene of countless accidents and fatalities, to be made into a full dual carriageway.

A series of short-term measures, including speed cameras and junction improvements, are to be put in place, but campaigners are continuing to press for the dual carriageway.

Chairman of the A66 Completion Group, Michael Heseltine, said: "I'm very pleased that we have the AA saying this so openly and publicly.

"Our big concern is that these simple improvements could be used as an excuse for not doing the whole thing, but I'm pleased the AA have highlighted the situation."

Experts rated roads according to their length, the number of cars using them and the number of serious accidents.

The worst road in Britain was named as an eight-mile stretch of the A889 in the Scottish Highlands, which has an accident rate 14 times greater than the average.

John Dawson, AA policy director, said: "We have to make roads more forgiving - everyday human error should not carry a death sentence.

"People should not be dying on major roads because basic protection is absent from entirely predictable collisions, such as unfenced roadside objects.

"We cannot demand five-star cars from manufacturers and then settle for one-star roads."