Trunk A-road
A272 traffic and collisions
The A272 is a trunk A-road of 79.4 miles, from East Sussex to Hampshire. This page covers its traffic at 37 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.
- Traffic in 2025 271m vehicle miles
- Average daily traffic 9,345 vehicles a day, both directions
- Busiest section 23,839 A273 to B2184
- HGV share 3.5% of vehicle miles
- Traffic since 2019 +1.5% same count points
- Collisions, 2021 to 2025 474 36.9 per 100m vehicle miles
How busy is the A272?
On an average day in 2025, 9,345 vehicles passed each point on the A272, counting both directions. The busiest section is A273 to B2184 (West Sussex), with 23,839 a day; the quietest listed is B3420 to A30, with 3,707.
Busiest sections, 2025
A273 to B2184 carries 2.6 times the road’s average flow.
| Section | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| A273 to B2184 West Sussex · 0.7 mi · HGVs 0.9% | 23,839 |
| A24 to A281 West Sussex · 3.0 mi · HGVs 4.3% | 19,563 |
| A272 split to A281 West Sussex · 3.2 mi · HGVs 4.1% | 19,404 |
| A286 South to A286 North West Sussex · 0.5 mi · HGVs 1.6% | 16,489 |
| B2070 Ramshill to B2070 London Rd Hampshire · 0.7 mi · HGVs 2.1% | 14,929 |
| A275 to B2111 East Sussex, West Sussex · 3.3 mi · HGVs 3.8% | 14,841 |
| A31 to M3 jn9 Hampshire · 0.9 mi · HGVs 3.9% | 13,055 |
| A23 to B2036 West Sussex · 1.7 mi · HGVs 3.1% | 12,470 |
| Edge of Haywards Heath to A273 West Sussex · 1.2 mi · HGVs 1.9% | 12,203 |
| Snowdrop Lane to Edge of Haywards Heath West Sussex · 1.0 mi · HGVs 2.4% | 11,932 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Route
East Sussex to Hampshire · 79.4 miles
A272 traffic and collisions by section
35 sections between junctions, in route order. Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length.
Show all 35 sections Tap a column heading to sort
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A27 to A267East Sussex | 7,989 | 29 |
| 2 | A26 to Millwood LaneEast Sussex | 5,984 | fewer than 3 |
| 3 | A22 to A275East Sussex | 11,200 | 34 |
| 4 | At A275East Sussex | 17,811 | fewer than 3 |
| 5 | A275 to B2111East Sussex, West Sussex | 14,841 | 22 |
| 6 | B2111 to Snowdrop Lane, Haywards HeathWest Sussex | 10,858 | 6 |
| 7 | Snowdrop Lane to Edge of Haywards HeathWest Sussex | 11,932 | 4 |
| 8 | Edge of Haywards Heath to B2122West Sussex | 10,795 | 3 |
| 9 | B2122 to Edge of Haywards HeathWest Sussex | 17,080 | 4 |
| 10 | Edge of Haywards Heath to A273West Sussex | 12,203 | 8 |
| 11 | A273 to B2184West Sussex | 23,839 | 9 |
| 12 | B2184 to B2036 AnstyWest Sussex | 10,963 | 9 |
| 13 | A23 to B2036West Sussex | 12,470 | 7 |
| 14 | At A272 splitWest Sussex | 19,212 | fewer than 3 |
| 15 | A272 split to A281West Sussex | 19,404 | 48 |
| 16 | A272E to A272WWest Sussex | 21,548 | 4 |
| 17 | A24 to A281West Sussex | 19,563 | 47 |
| 18 | Roundabout where A29 and A272 meet to Junction where A24 and A272 meetWest Sussex | 7,298 | 34 |
| 19 | B2133 to A29West Sussex | 9,661 | 6 |
| 20 | B2133 NORTH to B2133 SOUTHWest Sussex | 14,223 | 4 |
| 21 | A283 to B2133West Sussex | 5,021 | 24 |
| 22 | At A272West Sussex | 10,383 | 4 |
| 23 | A272SPLIT SOUTH to A272 SPLIT NORTHWest Sussex | 5,253 | fewer than 3 |
| 24 | A283 to A285West Sussex | 10,909 | fewer than 3 |
| 25 | A285 to A286West Sussex | 8,797 | 31 |
| 26 | A286 South to A286 NorthWest Sussex | 16,489 | 5 |
| 27 | A286 to B2070West Sussex, Hampshire | 6,740 | 40 |
| 28 | B2070 Ramshill to B2070 London RdHampshire | 14,929 | 5 |
| 29 | A3(T) to A32Hampshire | 7,872 | 31 |
| 30 | A32 to B3046Hampshire | 6,198 | 8 |
| 31 | B3046 to C road to Lane End DownHampshire | 5,914 | 9 |
| 32 | C road to Lane End Down to A31Hampshire | 5,911 | 13 |
| 33 | A31 to M3 jn9Hampshire | 13,055 | 9 |
| 34 | A34 to B3420Hampshire | 17,238 | fewer than 3 |
| 35 | B3420 to A30Hampshire | 3,707 | 9 |
Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A272 as the first road, placed on the nearest section by their recorded position; rates (per 100 million vehicle miles) are shown for sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more.
A272 traffic by vehicle type
Cars and taxis make up 77.3% of the vehicle miles on the A272. HGVs account for 3.5%, rising to 5.5% on A32 to B3046.
Vehicle mix, 2025
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
HGV share of traffic
| Year | HGV share |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.5% |
| 2001 | 4.3% |
| 2002 | 4.4% |
| 2003 | 4.5% |
| 2004 | 4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.5% |
| 2006 | 4.4% |
| 2007 | 4.5% |
| 2008 | 4.6% |
| 2009 | 4.2% |
| 2010 | 4.0% |
| 2011 | 4.0% |
| 2012 | 4.0% |
| 2013 | 4.0% |
| 2014 | 3.9% |
| 2015 | 4.0% |
| 2016 | 4.0% |
| 2017 | 4.1% |
| 2018 | 3.8% |
| 2019 | 3.8% |
| 2020 | 4.3% |
| 2021 | 4.1% |
| 2022 | 3.9% |
| 2023 | 3.7% |
| 2024 | 3.5% |
| 2025 | 3.5% |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
A272 traffic trend
Traffic on the A272 came to 271 million vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is up 1.5% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 7.7% on 2015.
Vehicle miles a year
Like for like, traffic is down 3.3% on 2000.
| Year | Vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 274m |
| 2001 | 284m |
| 2002 | 286m |
| 2003 | 290m |
| 2004 | 285m |
| 2005 | 280m |
| 2006 | 286m |
| 2007 | 285m |
| 2008 | 282m |
| 2009 | 279m |
| 2010 | 262m |
| 2011 | 263m |
| 2012 | 256m |
| 2013 | 254m |
| 2014 | 261m |
| 2015 | 253m |
| 2016 | 272m |
| 2017 | 270m |
| 2018 | 267m |
| 2019 | 268m |
| 2020 | 206m |
| 2021 | 233m |
| 2022 | 253m |
| 2023 | 262m |
| 2024 | 267m |
| 2025 | 271m |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Average daily flow
| Year | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 9,505 |
| 2001 | 9,850 |
| 2002 | 9,933 |
| 2003 | 10,062 |
| 2004 | 9,899 |
| 2005 | 9,733 |
| 2006 | 9,935 |
| 2007 | 9,901 |
| 2008 | 9,792 |
| 2009 | 9,689 |
| 2010 | 9,087 |
| 2011 | 9,138 |
| 2012 | 8,874 |
| 2013 | 8,834 |
| 2014 | 9,062 |
| 2015 | 8,822 |
| 2016 | 9,394 |
| 2017 | 9,412 |
| 2018 | 9,277 |
| 2019 | 9,260 |
| 2020 | 7,112 |
| 2021 | 8,060 |
| 2022 | 8,764 |
| 2023 | 9,075 |
| 2024 | 9,244 |
| 2025 | 9,345 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
The chart counts the whole road as it was each year, so new or renumbered stretches move it. The percentage changes compare only count points present in both years (83.8% of today’s road for 2019). In 2025, 2 of the 37 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.
A272 collisions
Police recorded 474 collisions with the A272 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 171 of them fatal or serious, including 11 fatal. That is 36.9 per 100 million vehicle miles, higher than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 1.2 a year for each mile of road.
Reported collisions by year
Up 35.0% from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Slight | Fatal or serious |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47 | 33 |
| 2022 | 63 | 30 |
| 2023 | 70 | 32 |
| 2024 | 54 | 37 |
| 2025 | 70 | 38 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Sections with the highest collision rates
Per 100 million vehicle miles, 2021 to 2025. Sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more collisions.
| Section | Per 100m vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| A3(T) to A32 Hampshire · 31 collisions | 166.0 |
| A24 to A281 West Sussex · 47 collisions | 49.0 |
| A272 split to A281 West Sussex · 48 collisions | 45.6 |
| C road to Lane End Down to A31 Hampshire · 13 collisions | 42.3 |
| Roundabout where A29 and A272 meet to Junction where A24 and A272 meet West Sussex · 34 collisions | 40.7 |
| A286 to B2070 West Sussex, Hampshire · 40 collisions | 40.3 |
| A283 to B2133 West Sussex · 24 collisions | 38.4 |
| A27 to A267 East Sussex · 29 collisions | 38.4 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
A further 61 collisions were recorded at junctions where the A272 was the second road; they are not in the figures above. Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions
Council areas on the A272
In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.
- East Sussex
- West Sussex
- Hampshire
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic counts and vehicle mix | Road traffic statistics (AADF by count point) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2000 to 2025 | 37 count points in 2025 | 15 September 2026 |
| Reported collisions | Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2021 to 2025 | 474 reported collisions | 15 September 2026 |
- Annual average daily flow (AADF) is the average number of vehicles passing a point on a typical day of the year, both directions combined.
- Vehicle miles are AADF multiplied by link length and 365, summed over every count point link on the road.
- Sections join count point links between junctions, using the link lines in DfT’s major road database.
- STATS19 covers personal injury collisions reported to the police. Damage-only collisions are not included, and not every injury collision is reported.
- Serious and slight figures are DfT’s adjusted estimates, which allow for police forces moving to injury-based reporting.
- Counts of one or two collisions below Great Britain level are shown as “fewer than 3”.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.