A new campaign is being launched by THINK! with the aim of reducing the number of accidents on country roads.

Some 60 per cent of fatalities occur on rural roads - an average of three deaths per day. The number of people killed on country roads is nearly 11 times higher than on motorways.

One in four drivers has experienced a near miss on country roads and four in ten report being surprised by an unexpected hazard, such as an animal, while travelling along them. A third admit they have taken a bend too fast.

The new campaign will urge motorists to read the road ahead and anticipate hazards, drive at an appropriate speed, stay in control and brake before bends rather than on them, and allow enough space for cyclists and horse riders when overtaking.

Road safety minister Robert Goodwill described the fatalities that occur on country roads as "needless tragedies" and said the new campaign would help the public to understand the risks involved in driving on rural routes.