Calls for better road signs after wrong-way crash

A woman involved in a crash caused by a driver who turned the wrong way on to a dual carriageway section of a main road in West Sussex has called for safety improvements at the junction.

Esme King was a passenger when a car turned left from a side road on to the A24 near Copsale and struck her father's van.

She said the collision was "completely unexpected" and "horrific" for her family, despite no one being injured.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said it had recently inspected the site and found signage at the junction was "clear and visible", although some road markings were fading and due to be refreshed.

King said she had been heading out for breakfast with her family when they saw a car emerging from the junction.

"They had their left indicator on and just proceeded to pull out into the lane we were in and hit us," she said.

Thankfully there were no injuries but both vehicles were badly damaged.

King says the psychological impact "will stay with all of us", particularly after seeing a car coming the wrong way on a dual carriageway.

She said the junction was "notoriously dangerous" and that similar incidents and near‑misses had happened "many" times before.

She is now calling for improved signage and safety measures.

Sussex Police attended the crash quickly as they were already on their way to carry out an assessment of the junction, King said.

A spokesman for the force said an officer attended and assessed the road layout due to a previous report of a car driving the wrong way on the road.

They said details were passed to the traffic management officer, who was liaising with WSCC's road safety manager.

West Sussex County Council says it "takes road safety extremely seriously" and was reviewing the collision and injury record at the junction to determine whether further action was needed.

It added it could not comment on the specifics of a petition calling for changes as it had not yet been received.

The council said visibility from Bar Lane had previously been reduced by vegetation.

It said its final rural grass cut had now been completed and a site inspection on 23 January confirmed visibility had improved.

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