Cumbria is one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in the Northwest, according to a new investigation.

The county makes up 14 per cent of the figures on pedestrians fatalities caused by cars, and ranks behind Greater Manchester, which accounts for 72 per cent of recorded fatalities since 2020, and Cheshire which logged 17 per cent.

It is followed by Merseyside which accounted for 11 per cent of figures.

The dangers for pedestrians in Cumbria are known, particularly in busy areas of Carlisle where pedestrian crossing provisinos may appear bountiful, but are in fact complained about frequently.

Ome areas, such as the crossing at the top of Warwick Road near Tesco, and the other end of Warwick Road near the hotel which people often use to cross despite there not being a pedestrian crossing point, are particularly risky.

Fast and frequent traffic on Dalston Road by Aldi is a problem area as well as it is can be difficult to find a good time to cross without running.

Similar areas include roads in Denton Holme, as well as busy sections of the city in Currock and around the Kingstown area.

The A66 by Brough, Keswick and Workington have seen accidents occur as well.

In the UK, an average of 372 pedestrians have been killed by cars each year since 2020, according to government statistics, but recent changes to the Highway Code introduced in 2022, sought to improve pedestrian safety. 

However, new research by Personal Injury Claims UK found that the number of fatalities, serious and slight injuries sustained as well as the number of overall collisions increased in Cumbria after the changes came into play.

One of the most significant changes to the Highway Code was the hierarchy of road users designed to create ‘clearer and stronger priorities’ for pedestrians.

It advises drivers turning into or out of a junction to give way to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders who are either crossing or waiting to cross the road. 

The aim was to improve the safety of the most vulnerable by also placing the greatest responsibility to reduce danger on vehicles that can cause the most harm such as large goods vehicles, vans, taxis and motorcycles. 

In Cumbria alone, the number of overall collisions rose by 26 per cent, with a total of 501 recorded incidents between 2022/23, up from 399 recorded in 2020/21.

Similarly, the number of pedestrians sustaining serious injuries increased by 13 per cent - from 120 before the Highway Code changes to 136 afterwards.

Figures for ‘slight injuries’ sustained went up by 31 per cent from 272 to 357.

One more pedestrian death caused by cars was recorded between 2022/23, up from a recorded seven fatalities in 2020/21.

New findings follow a report from the Government’s Public Accounts Committee in November 2023, which declared that messaging around the changes had not been communicated effectively enough to encourage public participation.