The UK is lagging behind the rest of Europe in its attempts to lower road deaths, a new report states.

A study from the European Transport Safety Council reveals that road deaths across continental Europe dropped by 18 per cent between 2001 and 2005 - but they only declined by seven per cent in Britain over the same period.

The UK has performed particularly badly in its attempt to lower deaths caused by drink-driving - with the number of fatalities incurred through such incidents actually rising by 2.5 per cent over the same period, according to the report.

Dumfries and Galloway was the worst performing region in the UK on this parameter, with the number of motorists caught drink-driving rising by ten per cent over the first four months of the year compared to the same period of 2006.

Nationwide, the number of motorists caught speeding in 60mph zones has increased by nine per cent between 2001 and 2005, the report showed.