Research has revealed how uncomfortable many of us feel about driving at 60mph on narrow or winding country roads. However, police data reveals that a select few feel the exact opposite, seeing the speed limit as the absolute minimum they should be driving at.

New data from insurer Ageas highlights both the safety concerns and the extreme speeding recorded on our country roads:

The concerned majority

Country roads often present rapidly changing hazards that can worry motorists, including:

  • Hidden junctions
  • Agricultural machinery (think tractors)
  • Cyclists, walkers, horse riders and animals appearing around blind bends.

Any worries are further compounded by Department for Transport figures – in 2025, rural roads accounted for 60% of road deaths despite carrying 45% of traffic. Now compare that to motorways that accounted for just 6% of deaths despite carrying 21% of traffic.

Such is the concern among motorists that:

  • 67% of drivers feel unsafe travelling at 60mph on narrow or winding country roads.
  • 55% believe the default 60mph speed limit is too high.
  • 64% support a blanket reduction in rural road speed limits.

Extreme speeding

Perhaps inevitably, while many of us fret about the perceived dangers of rural road driving, there are some who appear to believe that a rural road is a glorified racetrack and they’re Max Verstappen.

For instance, Ageas’s analysis of full or partial data supplied by 32 police forces found:

  • 342,700 speeding offences were recorded on 60mph single carriageways (2021–2025).
  • 742 drivers were caught exceeding 100mph.
  • In extreme cases, some were clocked at 140mph in Bedfordshire and 144mph in Lancashire and North Yorkshire.

Such high speeds appear insane to normal drivers, but for reckless motorists, a seemingly empty country lane can be their cue to flatten the right pedal. In the survey, 66% of drivers said they believed fewer speed cameras and lower traffic volumes encouraged such motorists to drive faster on rural roads.

What it means for you

As a learner or newly qualified driver, rural roads do represent a risk. For instance, limited experience can make it harder to judge appropriate speeds, identify emerging hazards and respond correctly to unexpected situations. Hazards can include bends that tighten unexpectedly as you go round or mud sprayed across the road that can undermine your car’s grip.

Even where the limit is 60mph, it may be necessary to drive much more slowly. In fact, you should always regard the limit as the maximum permitted speed – NOT a target that must be reached.

Instead, always choose a speed that allows you to stop safely within the clear stretch of road you can see ahead.

Get ahead

The best way to prepare for rural road driving is to ask your instructor to spend a few sessions navigating them. It’ll help you recognise the hazards that country lanes can throw at you and build your confidence in the process.

Such a pragmatic approach can help you feel more confident when you encounter a country road once qualified, with a better understanding of what to do and how to reduce the risk.

Know Your Code

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Image by Dall-E