Risk of death or serious injury on strategic roads near Hastings in East Sussex is more prominent than anywhere else in England, a new map published by the Road Safety Foundation shows.

A section of the A21 close to the seaside town was the only road on the strategic network identified as ‘high risk’ on the map, with the A259 to the west of Hastings one of just four medium-high risk roads in the country.

Other medium-high risk strategic roads identified were sections of the A5 near Northampton, the A160 near Immingham and the A458 near Shrewsbury.

The level of ‘risk’ on each road was calculated by comparing the frequency of road crashes resulting in death and serious injury with how much traffic every stretch of road is carrying.

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We support any safety measures the Highways Agency may put in place on its roads to improve road safety in East Sussex and we regularly liaise with them on this issue.

“The opening of the new Bexhill to Hastings Link Road next year is expected to significantly change traffic flow in this area and to ease congestion on the A259 and nearby roads.

“Once the new road is open we will be in a position to look again at how it impacts on traffic flow and what additional road safety measures we may need to implement in those sections of the A259 and A21 within Hastings borough which are our responsibility.”

Photo of A21: Highways Agency

To return to the newsletter, please close this window.