Britain's worst hotspots for dangerous driving - see how your area compares
Cops in England and Wales logged more than 6,200 crime reports of dangerous driving in 2024, including 937 offences that caused a death or serious injury - 8 per cent up on the previous year
A new map highlights where the nation's most dangerous drivers are. The figures, taken from Home Office data, show the parts of the country where people should beware reckless motorists.
Cops in England and Wales logged more than 6,200 crime reports of dangerous driving in 2024, including 937 offences that caused a death or serious injury. That is an 8 per cent increase from the previous year, with 504 more dangerous driving offences, including an additional 67 causing death or serious injury.
The figures show that the chances of encountering a dangerous driver vary depending on where in the country you live. The risk is highest in parts of the North, particularly in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester with Bradford getting the dubious honour of being crowned dangerous driving capital of England and Wales.
The news comes just weeks after the notorious A1 first date crash which saw a huge pile up on a dual carriageway in which five police cars crashed and seven officers were injured on the borders of Gateshead and Newcastle.
Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, appeared in court following the smash which occurred after officers attempted to stop a dark grey BMW M Sport in the Whickham area of Gateshead at about 2am, sparking a high speed chase.
In the three years to the end of 2024, police recorded 1,017 crimes of dangerous driving there, including 47 that caused a death or serious injury.
While Leeds had more dangerous driving offences, (1,054 reports, including 73 causing a death or serious injury), the number of offences when compared to the size of the population eligible to hold a driving licence, people are far more likely to encounter a dangerous driver on the roads of Bradford.
For every 100,000 people over the legal driving age, there were 242 offences in Bradford - the equivalent of one dangerous driving crime for every 413 people. That's much higher than anywhere else in the country.
Separate figures show Bradford has more than its fair share of bad drivers, with a high proportion in parts of the city penalised by six or more points on their licence. Four of the top 10 postcode areas with the highest proportion of drivers with at least six points are in Bradford.
Motorists and pedestrians aren't much safer outside the city limits. Calderdale, less than 10 miles away, had the second highest rate of dangerous driving offences over the last three years, with 202 per 100,000 people.
Compare your area with our interactive map
In fact all four areas with the highest dangerous driving rates are in West Yorkshire. Leeds had the third highest rate of dangerous driving offences in the period with 171 crimes per 100,000 people and Wakefield was fourth with 143.
All of the top 10 areas with the highest proportion of dangerous drivers are in West Yorkshire or neighbouring Greater Manchester. Bolton (143) and Tameside (138), both in Greater Manchester, had the next highest rates of dangerous driving, followed by Kirklees (136), Rochdale (129), Manchester (124), and Salford (119).
There is also a distinct north-south divide when it comes to dangerous driving.
The dangerous driving rate in Bradford is more than three times higher than it is in Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, the area with the highest proportion of dangerous drivers in the South (71 per 100,000).
It is even lower in Wales, where the chances of meeting a dangerous driver are highest in Cardiff (43 dangerous driving offences per 100,000 of the population eligible to drive).
Dangerous driving is when a motorist's actions fall 'far below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful driver' and could put themselves or others at risk of harm.
Examples include speeding, driving aggressively, overtaking dangerously, or ignoring traffic lights.
It could also include driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, or driving when unfit, for example, when feeling sleepy, or being unable to see clearly.
Punishment could include a fine, disqualification from driving and even imprisonment.
For the most serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving, the sentence could be up to 14 years in prison and a minimum disqualification from driving of two years.
The 20 areas with the highest rates of dangerous driving offences per 100,000 people
Bradford - 242
Calderdale - 202
Leeds - 171
Wakefield - 143
Bolton - 141
Tameside - 138
Kirklees - 136
Rochdale - 129
Manchester - 124
Salford - 119
Oldham - 115
Middlesbrough - 97
Bury - 97
Hartlepool - 93
Wigan - 80
Eden - 77
17. Knowsley - 75
18. Stockport - 75
19. Stockton-on-Tees - 74
20. Trafford - 73
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