A road traversing Sussex has earned recognition as one of Britain’s finest for ideal motoring conditions.
The A272, which extends from Heathfield in East Sussex through West Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire, secured the position of Britain’s second finest route for driving weather according to research conducted by Autotrader alongside senior meteorologist Jim R N Dale.
The journey across the South Downs fell just short of first place by a narrow margin, achieving 60.4 points out of 100, while routes through the New Forest claimed the number one spot with 60.7 points.
Evaluation of the roads considered surface quality, sightlines and sunshine, wind strength, ground warmth and moisture levels.
Analysts highlighted the A272’s protected positioning, which offers pleasant temperatures and minimal humidity.
The Cotswolds placed third in the national assessment with 59.5 points.
Globally, Garden Route in South Africa and Route 66 in the United States led the standings.
Erin Baker, vehicle leasing specialist at Autotrader, commented that drivers universally recognise the sensation of having windows open with the road ahead under blue skies, creating conditions so favourable one could continue driving indefinitely. She noted the desire to identify which of the world’s renowned routes most consistently provide this experience, expressing pleasant surprise at how strongly British roads performed in the Perfect Driving Weather assessment.
Additional routes featured in Britain’s top ten comprise the B6255 and B6160 through the Yorkshire Dales, the A57 Peak District Snake Pass and the Pembrokeshire Coastal Route.
Roads received higher scores when typical monthly precipitation fell below 30mm, typical wind speed stayed under 12mph and at least 70 per cent of days throughout a year were clear.
The A272 has recently faced increased attention in West Sussex, where residents were consulted this month regarding the installation of average speed cameras following concerns about excessive speed, hazardous manoeuvres and engine noise from vehicles.