Borough is a risky place to drive

OLDHAM has been named the UK’s sixth riskiest place for motor accidents.

Figures published in insurer Endsleigh’s annual Motor Accidents Index identify the 10 safest and accident-prone UK towns and cities.

The frequency of accidents in Oldham was 20.2 per cent above the national average, with Manchester in eighth place with 15.9 per cent above the average.

Endsleigh spokesman Stuart Wartalski said: “These figures are of course concerning for the residents of Oldham, however, there are positive local initiatives ongoing to ensure motorists’ safety.

“For example, Oldham’s Unity Partnership has targeted five areas of Oldham to encourage adults to educate children about road casualties, reinforcing road safety education in schools.

“What is absolutely essential is that drivers are even more vigilant in the lead up to Christmas when there are usually a greater number of vehicles on the roads when weather conditions can be extremely hazardous.”

Slough was named the most dangerous at 41.3 per cent above the average and Belfast the safest at 44.9 per cent below the national average.

All the riskiest places were in England —- in sharp contrast to Scotland, where Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow all made it into the safest places.

Only four English towns and cities broke into the top 10 safest places, with three — Ipswich, Norwich and Cambridge — in East Anglia making it the safest region.

The report ranks towns and cities by comparing the frequency of accident claims between towns and cities in order to determine the risk, rather than simply looking at the total number of incidents.