New figures show 37 people were killed on the county's rural roads in 2024, compared with just four on urban roads.

The previous year there were 29 fatalities on rural roads, with 10 on the county's urban highways.

Over the past decade, the pattern has been equally stark, with rural deaths far exceeding those in built-up areas.

From 2015 to the end of 2024, Norfolk recorded 297 deaths on rural roads, against 44 on urban routes.

NFU Mutual Rural Road Safety Report 2025 - road fatalities by region (Image: NFU Mutual Rural Road Safety Report 2025)

The figures form part of NFU Mutual’s wider analysis of UK road safety, which revealed 1,350 people have died on rural roads in the East of England in the past ten years.

Across Britain, rural road deaths totalled 9,887 over the same period.

Despite years of national road-safety improvements, the insurer warns progress on reducing countryside fatalities has stalled – and Norfolk’s figures show the risks remain........

© Eastern Daily Press