Devon has the largest rural road network of any highway authority in England with 12,800km of County roads in addition to its national routes. Devon has an ambitious target to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 55% by 2010, and the evidence points to the need to tackle problems specific to rural roads, especially those A and B roads with a national speed limit.

Despite the achievements in reducing casualties, there are still around 45 deaths, 300 serious and 3000 slight injuries reported each year in Devon, with a cost of preventing these estimated to be £150m per annum*.

The Country Mile Project aims to identify methods of good practice for dealing with accidents and collisions in rural areas. The area between Exeter and Barnstaple, bordered by the A361, A377 and A396, has been identified, offering a mixture of rural road characteristics, driver/rider challenges, user types, traffic flows and speeds and collisions that can generally be regarded as recognisable for the remainder of rural Devon.

The tools to achieve these changes will comprise both traditional and innovative treatments, but will be based on a more in-depth analysis of the issues than is usual practice. Guidance will come from applied psychologists who will work alongside engineers, educationists and enforcers to bring to bear research into human factors to influence driver and rider perceptions.

The emphases of the project will be on integration of disciplines, and whilst Devon County Council is the lead authority we will be working in partnership with Devon Fire & Rescue Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and the South West Ambulance Service. The project will aim to provide real, measurable and noticeable differences to the safety of travel on Devon’s roads.