Safety recommendations made at California Crossroads in Wokingham
One crash was recorded at Finchampstead’s redesigned California Crossroads during its first year, a road safety audit has found
One crash was recorded at Finchampstead’s redesigned California Crossroads during its first year, a road safety audit has found.
The collision involved a car hitting a pedestrian crossing Nine Mile Ride, about 30 metres west of the junction.
It was recorded as slight in severity and happened between October 2024 and September 2025, following the completion of the £5.5m controversial transformation of the junction.
In a new audit report, commissioned by Wokingham Borough Council and carried out by engineering consultancy WSP, it found the crash was “very unlikely” to have been caused by the new road layout.
The report recorded contributory factors relating to the driver, including being affected by alcohol, driving aggressively or dangerously, and failing to observe properly.
No personal-injury collisions were recorded within the scheme’s boundaries during the three years before construction, between April 2021 and March 2024.
Although the figures suggest a slight increase in collision frequency after the scheme was introduced, the auditors said this was very unlikely to be statistically significant because only one collision had been recorded.
No fatal or serious personal-injury collisions were recorded either before or after the changes.
However, the audit identified several outstanding safety concerns following a site visit in June.
Auditors observed vehicles mounting kerbs and footways at two corners of the junction, including when turning from Finchampstead Road into Nine Mile Ride.
They recommended installing flexible marker posts or similar bollards to discourage drivers from driving over the kerbs.
Vehicles were also seen entering the parking area outside the shops from the wrong direction, ignoring signs prohibiting entry.
The report warned this could bring them into conflict with other vehicles or pedestrians, particularly when drivers reverse out of parking spaces.
It recommended adding directional arrows to road markings to make the correct route clearer.
The auditors also found that a fuel-price sign at the Gulf petrol station continued to obstruct visibility between a pedestrian crossing and approaching traffic.
They said it was unclear whether the petrol station owner had been consulted about moving the sign and recommended resolving the issue.
Debris was also found at pedestrian crossing points. The report recommended clearing the area and establishing a regular road and footway sweeping programme.
The audit additionally identified bollards near the Red Oak Stores parking area that lacked reflective bands. Some appeared to have been struck by vehicles, prompting a recommendation to make them more visible.
The report also reviewed comments from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association about the junction’s suitability for people with sight loss. The auditors noted those concerns but said their collision-focused assessment had not recorded any personal-injury collisions at the four main pedestrian crossing points since the scheme was introduced.
The redesigned junction replaced the former double mini-roundabout layout with coloured leaf-pattern road markings and informal pedestrian crossings. The work was completed in September 2024.
The full Stage 4 Road Safety Audit is available on Wokingham Borough Council’s website. The report will be discussed at a scrutiny committee meeting at the council on Wednesday night (October 21).