New ranking names the most dangerous cities for drivers - Doncaster in top five

The ranking, created by accident compensation experts Claims.co.uk, awarded each city a score out of ten on road accident and fatality rates reported over the last year, the prevalence of vehicle-related crimes, and the number of people with penalty points on their licences.

For most, driving isn’t a dangerous activity, but data from gov.uk shows that an average of five people die and 84 are seriously injured every day on UK roads. Within cities, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are often at risk on busy urban roads – particularly in high-traffic areas.

And it turns out that Wakefield is the riskiest city, as it scored 8.1 out of ten. It has the highest prevalence of vehicle crime and the most licence penalty points, according to data from the Office for National Statistics and gov.uk. It also scored second-highest for road accidents.

Wakefield’s vehicle crime rates were 2,410 per 100k, a staggering 180% higher than the national average of 860. This indicates vehicle thefts are more prevalent in Wakefield, as it’s targeted by thieves even more than big cities such as London, once scaled to population size.

Wakefield was also the worst when it comes to reckless drivers, reporting the highest number of those with penalty points, at 41,371 per 100K residents. Peterborough came in second place with 29,380 per 100K – almost a third (29%) less than Wakefield.

Surprisingly, despite coming out as the worst offender across almost every other category, Wakefield scored lower for fatal accidents. While you’re more likely to have a road accident in the city, it’s less likely to be deadly than in other cities, particularly Cambridge or Gloucester.

Cambridge ranked as the second-most dangerous city with a score of 5.7 out of 10. The city reported the highest number of road accidents and fatalities at 637 and 21 per 100K residents.

The fatality rate suggests drivers should be especially cautious in the city, as the annual fatality rate is a huge 425% higher than the national average of four.

Following in third as the most dangerous city is Doncaster, scoring 5.1 out of 10. The city had the second-highest number of vehicle crime offenses at 1,880 break-ins and thefts per 100K residents, making it one of the nation’s least safe places to leave your vehicle unattended.

On the other end of the scale, the city that was named the safest for drivers was Stoke-on-Trent, with a score of 0.5 out of 10. They had the lowest number of road accidents compared to any other city, at just 54 accidents per 100K - 70% lower than the national average.

Following closely behind Stoke-on-Trent are Nottingham and Liverpool, both scoring 0.6 out of 10. Nottingham had the second-lowest number of fatal accidents, whilst Liverpool had the second-lowest number of penalty points on licences, suggesting safer drivers.

Surprisingly, Cambridge - which ranked overall as the second most dangerous city - scored particularly low for vehicle crime, indicating that while they are the most dangerous for accidents and fatalities, you’re safe to park your car on the streets of Cambridge.

A spokesperson from Claims.co.uk says: “It’s crucial that all drivers, whether a resident or visitor, recognize the elevated risks in areas that report high rates of accidents and thefts – particularly Wakefield, Cambridge, and Doncaster.”

“The cities with the most licence penalty points, such as Peterborough, are cause for concern, indicating unsafe driving from residents. What’s more, it’s important to be vigilant in high-risk areas by locking your car and leaving it in a safe place when unattended to avoid theft.

“For those of you who are residing in or visiting Cambridge, be especially attentive on the roads, as it has the highest number of both road accidents and fatal accidents overall.”