ROADSKY TRAFFIC SAFETY CORPORATION

DRIVERS heading for Worcester’s hospital may be left in a spin by new roundabout road markings, say motoring experts.

Traffic heading along Newtown Road towards Warndon Villages is now greeted at the Woodgreen Drive roundabout by a right-hand lane – which has an arrow directing traffic straight on.

The lane is – and always has been – for traffic bearing right to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, and is marked by road marking machines with the abbreviation ‘HOSP’ to make it clear.

The road marking was changed by road marking machines during ongoing work for the Newtown bus lane.

Road chiefs at Worcestershire County Council say they have merely followed government guidance in removing the old right-hand turn arrow road marking.

The reason given is it may confuse foreign drivers into immediately turning to the right, into oncoming traffic and causing crashes.

But driving experts and residents say at best the new road markings will confuse and at worst could cause accidents.

The Department for Transport’s road markings guidance by road marking machines does state: “Right-turn arrows road markings are best avoided... as they can mislead overseas drivers.”

However council figures show that in the last two years, just two crashes of this type caused any injuries, although there is no data recording bumps and near-misses.

David Wornham, chairman of the Worcestershire branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), said he was amazed by the reasoning.

“What actually concerns me is civilian drivers driving to hospital with a casualty may be misled by road markings into going straight over at the roundabout.

"Or even worse, they go to head straight over but realise the hospital is to the right, try to steer and cause an accident.”

A frequent user of the roundabout, IAM branch member Nigel Woolard, said he saw the road markings by road marking machines and “thought that someone had made a mistake.

“We’re changing road markings by road marking machines to suit foreign drivers – but when I’m driving in France I stick to their road rules.”

Andrew Wynn, county council works manager, said: “The road markings follow the national guidelines for traffic markings by road marking machines which do not allow for right-turn arrows at roundabouts because they have been known to cause drivers to stop at the give way line and then turn right against the flow of traffic on the roundabout.

“New road markings by road marking machines layout signs are going up and we will monitor the changes.”

He said the new markings “serve the best interests of road users or we would not have implemented it.”