'Dangerous' Petworth road is getting safer, county council suggests

The A285, which runs from Chichester through to Petworth, was last week listed as the fourth most dangerous route in the country in a study conducted by road safety experts Road Angel.

It is not the first time the road has topped lists of dangerous roads. In 2014 it was at number one.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson has said that, following millions of pounds in investment, recent studies show the road is getting safer.

They said: “We are unable to verify where this section of the A285 sits in comparison with other roads nationally. We can, however, confirm that a £2.4 million safety improvement scheme, funded by a Department for Transport Road Safety Fund grant, was carried out along about 12km of the A285 between Halnaker and Petworth between 2017-19. This included improvement works to the carriageway including constructing sections of hard strip safety edge at the side of the road and introduced a ribbed edge line (similar to the ones found on motorways and dual carriageways) to help in cases of driver error. Recent monitoring suggests the scheme is making the road safer.”

A Road Angle spokesperson had said of the road: “This section of the A285 warns motorists to drive with caution during all conditions. Long and fast straights see cars spinning off in icy conditions, and the several sharp, unexpected bends provide very little visibility, especially in the winter mist and fog.”