THE North West region has one of the highest road casualty rates in England, according to a new report.

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) said there was a casualty rate of 459 per 100,000 population, the second highest in the country.

Director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “There are more motorists than ever in the North West and the road casualty rate per head of population is one of the highest in England, second only to the South East.

“The Government has placed a strong emphasis on road safety, by proposing challenging casualty reduction targets for 2020 and a fair deal for drivers.

“A lot of work still needs to be done to iron out the variation in investment and casualty rates across the country.”

The research also shows that the risk of being killed in a crash has fallen dramatically since the 1980s, but the crash risk for drivers in their teens and 20s has not changed.