DEVON County Council s campaign to improve safety on rural roads is being backed by local young farmers.

DEVON County Council's campaign to improve safety on rural roads is being backed by local young farmers.

Countryside driving dangers are being highlighted following Government figures showing that drivers are three times more likely to die on a rural road than a busy urban street.

The Devon Federation of Young Farmers Clubs is supporting the move, by promoting it to its members.

County organiser for the Federation, Nick Creasy, said: "A little bit of patience goes a long way. We live in a fast moving world and people are used to having things instantly or getting places quickly.

"If you do take that risk to overtake a farm vehicle or machinery without good clear vision and time to do so, it could make you late. It takes time to send a fire crew to cut people out of the mess that could follow."

The Department for Transport figures show that in 2006 more than 60 per cent of all deaths due to road accidents were in rural areas, and the people most at risk on rural roads were...

Cllr Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for Highways and Transportation, said: "Motorists face a variety of hazards on rural roads, despite there being less traffic.

"The county council's work on Devon Country Mile project has shown that being familiar with a road does not guarantee your safety.

"One study on the A377 found that, between 2002 and 2006, 86 per cent of fatal and serious injury collisions involved someone who lived within 20km of the collision site.