There have been instances of foreign drivers mistakenly driving on the wrong side of the road, despite multilingual signs near UK ports warning them to 'drive on the left.'

In light of these incidents, King has called for a comprehensive review of signage and road layouts in areas where genuine mistakes occur, stressing the need for more intuitive highway designs.

National Highways has stated that safety is their top priority, implementing immediate measures to inform drivers and manage speed limits when wrong-way driving is reported.

The data regarding wrong-way driving incidents was obtained from police and public records following a Freedom of Information request.

Experts note that some wrong-way driving incidents are linked to criminals evading police, while others may stem from drivers misled by faulty GPS directions or foreign drivers unfamiliar with UK road rules.

Reported incidents of wrong-way driving on England's motorways have surged by 15% over the past year, totaling 988 incidents by mid-November 2024, which averages to about 19 incidents weekly.

AA president Edmund King described this increase as 'frightening,' emphasizing the potentially devastating consequences of such incidents.

Recent tragic events highlight the severity of the issue, including a crash on the M6 that resulted in five fatalities in mid-October 2024 and a wrong-way driving incident on the M25 that killed two and seriously injured four in early February 2024.

In a notable case, Barancan Nurcin, the driver involved in the M25 incident, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in June 2024.

Motorists encountering an oncoming vehicle are advised to call 999 immediately if it is safe to do so, or use an SOS phone on-site, while speed limits are reduced to 20mph in response to these dangerous situations.