MOTORISTS are being urged to slow down on rural roads after one in three drivers admitted driving too fast.

Some 33% of drivers admit driving too fast for safety on country roads, by speeding, taking bends fast or overtaking, reveal results from road safety charity Brake and Digby Brown solicitors.

Four in 10 (37%) have had a near-miss on a rural roads, while driving, walking or cycling.

Since there is less traffic on country roads, some drivers feel a false sense of security and are prone to take risks like speeding, overtaking, and not slowing down for brows and bends.

In fact, rural roads are the most dangerous for all types of road user per mile travelled.

Car occupants are almost twice as likely to be killed on a country road than an urban road, motorcyclists more than twice as likely, and cyclists more than three times as likely.

Country roads are also the most dangerous type of road in relation to traffic volume, accounting for 60% of all road deaths:

In 2013, 895 people were killed on non-built up roads, up 1% on 2012, and 6,554 seriously injured, compared to 718 killed on built-up roads and 100 killed on motorways.

The survey of 1,000 UK drivers also found:

* One in five (19%) admit breaking speed limits on rural roads in the past year
* Three in 20 (15%) admit taking corners or brows too fast
* One in 20 (5%) admit overtaking when it isn't safe

Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief executive, said fast traffic put lives at risk. "We hear constantly from people in rural areas whose communities are blighted by fast traffic."

People shouldn't have to "contend with drivers treating the roads as their personal racetrack," said Ms Townsend. "Driving in this way is incredibly selfish," she added.

"People in rural communities and families visiting these areas this summer have a right to enjoy their surroundings without fearing for their safety.

"Country roads are not empty thoroughfares for traffic; they are living environments, full of unpredictable hazards around every twist and turn.

"We are urging drivers to slow right down on country roads this summer, especially for villages, bends, brows and bad weather, to respect the countryside and other people's right to enjoy it."

Brake is calling on government to lower limits on rural roads to a maximum of 50mph.

Seven in 10 respondents were in favour of more 50, 40 and 30mph limits on rural roads, and two thirds (65%) were in favour of a 40mph default in national parks.

Last month, however, the government said the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on single carriageway roads in England and Wales would increase from 40mph to 50 mph by April 2015.

Hauliers and lorry drivers believe the move will reduce congestion and the risk of people dying in dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said: "The current limit is long out-of-date and the frustration it generates causes unnecessary road safety risk.

"We consider this announcement to be a real win for the RHA. We have lobbied long and hard on this issue and this positive outcome is a result of members' input and support."