Speed limits could be cut on roads across the county to try to halt a rise in road deaths.

Both East Sussex and West Sussex county councils are considering reducing limits on single-lane carriageways from 60mph to 50mph.

The move, which could make Sussex the first area in the country to impose reduced speeds on all roads with national speed limits, follows Government plans to cut the limit on all but the safest A-roads next year.

An increase in the number of fatal crashes on Sussex roads has led council officials to consider forcing drivers to cut their speed on any route covered by the national speed limit, which includes A, B and C roads in rural areas.

Peter Jones, leader of East Sussex County Council, said every village and parish was being asked whether it wanted limits reduced to 30mph.

He said: “Speed limits on roads approaching villages and built-up areas could also be reduced.

I think a 60 or 70 limit is fine on most of our dual carriageways.

But most of our single carriageways shouldn’t be that fast.

There are only a few stretches of the A22 and A23 that should be 60mph.

The rest are all pretty windy in places.

A more moderate limit would probably be a safer thing.

“There has been a major problem with motorbikes.

We have been working closelywith the police to try to slow them down.”

Government figures in June showed the number of fatal accidents on Sussex’s roads was rising.

A total of 78 people were killed in crashes in the county last year, a 16% rise on the 67 fatalities in 2007.

Sussex Police have said more than one in four of those killed or seriously injured are motorcyclists, despite bikers accounting for just 4% of the traffic.

Yesterday another motorcyclist, who was in his 40s and from West Sussex, was killed in a collision with a lorry on the A285 at Halnaker, near Chichester, at around 10am.

West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith said: “There are roads where the accident levels are unacceptably high.

One is the stretch of the A24 between Horsham and Kingsfold because it’s quite windy.

Another is stretches of the A272.

“The problem areas are single carriageway roads that are wiggly, where people can still do 60mph legally.

“We are constantly reviewing the safety and speed limits within the county.

In terms of a blanket review, it’s certainly something we will not rule out.”

A spokesman from Sussex Safer Road Partnership said: “We agree this issue would need to be carefully considered and due reference made to the collision and casualty data held by the county councils.

“I am not aware of any other local authority which has implemented a blanket 50mph limit on all of their single carriageway A and B roads.”