Other persistently higher risk major roads include a stretch of the A3 through Wandsworth and Lambeth, and the A23 in Brighton & Hove. Further stretches of rural route flagged up by the report include the A682 through Lancashire and North Yorkshire and the A6135 in the Barnsley and Sheffield region.

The Foundation’s latest EuroRAP risk assessment concludes that 60% of all deaths are concentrated on just 13% of Britain’s roads. It also says that an investment of £1.2Bn would improve safety on over 5000km of roads and prevent more than 8000 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

“Infrastructure safety measures can be developed and implemented very quickly, providing jobs and saving lives,” said the Foundation’s executive director Dr Suzy Charman. “At a time when we need to boost our economic recovery and protect the NHS, what better way of saving our society an estimated £4.4Bn over the next 20 years.”

Foundation chair Lord Whitty added: “British progress (on road safety) has depended largely on rising European vehicle standards. Similar advancements have not been seen in infrastructure safety.”

In other road safety news, a study has found that a quarter of all accidents happen within the first three minutes of driving. Austrian telematics provider Dolphin Technologies analysed 3.2 million car trips by 40,000 people over two years, in which nearly 2000 accidents occurred.

It found that a further 14% of accidents occurred within the first six minutes of getting behind the wheel.

“If we could encourage people to give up their cars for short distances, up to 40% of all accidents could be avoided,” said the company's chief data scientist Katharina Sallinger.

(Photograph: IAM RoadSmart)