By Susie Paterson

Drivers who breakdown on more than 5000 miles of road across the UK can not call for assistance, says the RAC.   A new study has disclosed that there are more than 2000 miles of road in Scotland alone, with no mobile coverage.

The RAC Foundation found that drivers in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders appear on the list of worst affected 10 regions throughout the whole of the UK.

Number one on the list is the Highland region who reportedly have 910 miles with no coverage from the UK’s four biggest mobile coverage providers.  Argyle and Bute came second with 388 miles of no coverage.

Apart from the vast stretches with no coverage, a further 44,000 miles (18% of all UK roads) have poor or partial coverage the report states.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “The good news is that mobile coverage has improved a great deal across our road network.

“On our motorways, which carry around a fifth of all traffic, every mile should now have voice and basic data coverage plus a 4G signal for all but a couple of miles.

“As rapidly as the technology has advanced, so too have our expectations of enjoying uninterrupted connectivity.

“Hopes are high that autonomous and connected vehicles will make our roads safer and help cut congestion, but that is dependent on those vehicles being able to communicate with each other and the infrastructure around them.

“This analysis shows that there is still work to be done to make constant and comprehensive coverage a reality.”