Drivers are being urged to ignore their sat-navs as motorists are increasingly diverted onto higher-risk rural roads. Road users face heightened dangers as congestion, sat-nav rerouting, and road closures reshape everyday journeys across England.
Data Reveals Widespread Diversions
Data published by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart shows that over the past 12 months, more than half (54 per cent) of motorists have been forced to detour onto a rural road because of congestion on motorways, dual carriageways, and other main A roads.
Four in ten (42 per cent) of drivers have experienced a mid-journey change from their sat-navs that ended up rerouting them away from the main network onto country lanes. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) were forced to do the same thing due to a road closure.
Safety Concerns Raised
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and External Communications Nicholas Lyes said: “Every year, more people are killed on a rural road than any other road type, yet worryingly we’re seeing a high number of people taking unplanned diversions to use them.
“Congestion is inevitable, but we would encourage people to question if a diversion onto an unclassified or single-track route is worth saving a few minutes considering the increased hazards they might face.
“Often, other people following sat-navs will similarly divert, and you end up with traffic volumes that exceed what the road is designed for and may ultimately not save the time the diverted driver expects.
“Traffic growth shows little sign of abating, yet without a commitment to increase capacity on the wider strategic network, we may see more traffic filtering onto the rural road network, with potentially grave consequences.”
Traffic Growth Data
UK Labour Party Government data suggests the number of vehicles on the road has increased by 13 per cent in just ten years. The IAM RoadSmart Opinion Panel surveyed 1,042 UK motorists in February 2026 and 114 IAM RoadSmart motorcycle members.
