Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, is urging motorists to drive safely on the county’s rural roads. Although the roads are becoming quieter following the summer holidays, rural roads can still be dangerous if motorists do not drive safely to the highway code.

Speaking on the rural roads, PCC Peter McCall, said: “Cumbria is a rural county, and we have lots of roads that are single lanes, tight corners and many blind spots – many of which were not originally built to hold motorised vehicles.

“We have over 500 C roads in Cumbria, in comparison to only 31 A roads and 73 B roads, plus many unclassified roads, we can clearly see just how rural we really are.

“Many of us that live and grew up in Cumbria will be used to these roads but being comfortable can lead us to be negligent of the fact that, if we are not cautious and follow the speed limits, we could cause an accident.

“With the summer coming to an end and the dark nights becoming noticeably longer it is essential that we all remain vigilant when driving on rural roads.

“We never know what is just around the corner, so I am urging all drivers to drive responsibly, stick to the speed limits and take your time – nothing is worth risking your life for.

“We know that speeding, use of mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and drink/drug driving are the biggest killers on the roads nationally however one of the biggest causes of accidents is not paying attention to the road.

“It’s far too easy for us to get distracted so please stay focused on our rural roads and please get home safely.

“If you know someone that routinely drives in a dangerous manner or is driving under the influence please call the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency or call Crimestoppers to report anonymously on 0800 555 111.”