Cumbrian roads have been named some of the most dangerous in the UK in new crash statistics.

The A595's high accident rate has seen Cumbria ranked third in the nation for the number of recorded collisions in 2019, with 120 on te main road alone.

A further 200 collisions were recorded on the M6 and A590, with the total number of crashes in Cumbria reaching 633.

Of these, 61 were recorded on the A66, with 53 happening on the A591.

The statistics have been released through a series of Freedom of Information, which revealed that Dorset had the highest number of collisions, with 1,837.

And with 1,752 accidents taking place last year, Nottinghamshire came in second.

Commenting on the figures, Copeland Borough Councillor and Mayor of Whitehaven, Brian O'Kane, said: "There's a degree of not being 100% surprised, because of the amount of traffic on the A595.

"To be honest, I'm surprised there aren't more accidents from the traffic between West Cumbria and Sellafield – at certain times of day there's such a build up that you can be stuck for over an hour."

He added: "The roads are just totally inadequate for the volume of traffic. The A595 is basically entirely a single carriageway, and it's not good enough for the number of cars using it."

And while he believes people should be driving carefully, Mr O'Kane added that lack of enforcement is a key issue.

"It's not the police's fault, but they're sadly very understaffed, so there's no way to monitor traffic or send traffic police out, so people will continue to drive fast, and on inadequate roads like the fell roads that aren't built for such heavy traffic."

Allerdale Borough Councillor, Danny Horsley agreed that roads were a worry for the volume of cars using them, and said: "We are quite a spread out, rural area with a lot of very old roads, which have been here since day one.

"Because we're not a built up area, we don't have the infrastructure like big cities do – we just have our country roads, which can be dangerous."

He added: "People should drive in accordance with the speed and safety of the roads, and hopefully that will help."

Advice from Carwow, who analysed the figures, includes; keeping a safe distance from other road users, staying focused, keeping calm, not getting dazzled by headlights, and cutting out distractions.

Vix Leyton, motoring expert at Carwow, said: “Whilst the roads are much quieter than usual right now, it is still important to remain vigilant and drive carefully on those essential journeys.

"Looking ahead, by the time lockdown is lifted, many drivers will have gone weeks without driving on busy motorways or A-roads, and should try to gradually ease themselves back into a ‘motorists mindset’ before setting out on long journeys and routes once life in the UK returns to normal.

"No matter how confident a driver you are, you cannot account for other road users and it is vital to always concentrate, and not allow yourself to slip into autopilot.”