Amal Ahmed
21 Dec 2023 · Coroner Sean Cummings · Milton Keynes
This report repeats 1 earlier warning, and was raised again 1 time later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. vehicles entering slip road in wrong direction
“The exit point of the A5 "off" slip road at the Little Brickhill junction is wide. The signage indicating No Entry appears to be inadequate as there are two No Entry signs which are widely spaced at the junction. One is positioned to appear to forbid entry to the road over the bridge leading over the A5 and does not obviously relate to the slip road. The second is positioned such that it obliquely faces the road over the bridge and would not be visible to a driver turning right onto the slip road until they had completed the manoeuvre placing them at risk. There is a No Right Turn sign as the junction is approached. There is also No Entry in large white letters at the mouth of the slip road junction, however, this may be (1) obscured by vehicles leaving the slip road and (2) the junction is unlit and was said by a witness as being "pitch black"”
2. temporary signs removed after collision
“Following the collision, large temporary No Entry signs were positioned at the slip road junction. They were quickly removed apparently because the original signs were deemed to comply with necessary regulations. That seems wholly irrelevant to me because drivers are clearly commonly not seeing the signs because of the large numbers who mistakenly drive the wrong way onto the slip road”
3. recurring wrong-way entry on slip road
“Local residents have contacted police and complained that it is a very common occurrence for drivers to mistakenly travel down the slip road in the wrong direction”
4. high speed wrong-way travel on slip road
“The slip road is long and allows for the build up of considerable speed in turn facilitating what the police describe as a high energy impact”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
Earlier report
“was told by the Police Collision Investigator that the traffic had started queuing on the slip road at Junction 14 into lane one. It was suggested that there was some uncertainty by drivers using the slipway as to which lane they should use and that the signage is not clear.”
This report
“The exit point of the A5 "off" slip road at the Little Brickhill junction is wide. The signage indicating No Entry appears to be inadequate as there are two No Entry signs which are widely spaced at the junction.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“Following the collision, large temporary No Entry signs were positioned at the slip road junction. They were quickly removed apparently because the original signs were deemed to comply with necessary regulations.”
Later report
“National Highways undertook a number of immediate remedial measures to try to prevent drivers turning and travelling the wrong way down this slip road, including narrowing the”
Responses
2023-0543-Response-from-Highways.pdf ↗· National Highways
Stated action
“Further temporary signing has been put in place at the exit point of the A5 off slip at the Little Brickhill junction in the form of two large 1200mm 'No Entry' signs on A-frames on each side of the carriageway (Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD), Diagram 616 No entry for vehicular traffic). These signs are intended to provide mitigation against further wrong way driving incidents while a full safety review of the junction has been undertaken.”
2023-0543-Response-from-Milton-Keynes-City-Council.pdf ↗· Milton Keynes City Council
Amal-Ahmed-Prevention-of-Future-Deaths-Report-2023-0543-Update-August-2024.pdf ↗· Milton Keynes City Council