Warning posters going up this month on the A258 will have a stark warning to motorists for the New Year.

“Don’t let a bad choice become a fatal one” will be the message from the road safety team at Kent Highways, who are launching the campaign to make drivers think twice before overtaking on the Dover to Deal road.

It will run from December until April, using the roadside posters and media adverts alternatively to maintain awareness throughout the five months. There will also be public events at community events in the area, where road safety officers can talk to drivers.

Kent Highways road safety team leader Steve Horton said: “Too many drivers are taking unnecessary risks on this stretch of the A258 by overtaking when it isn’t safe to do so. At best that means a near miss and at worst it means a crash.

“We want drivers to realise that they could be gambling with their lives for the sake of saving just a few seconds. It just isn’t worth the risk.”

The awareness campaign is aimed at drivers making poor overtaking decisions between Dover and Walmer.

Temporary road signs will be placed along the stretch and will show a car in the path of an oncoming lorry making a bad overtaking decision.

Following the poster campaign, media adverts showing a series of everyday bad choices next to the potentially fatal overtaking decision will be used to highlight the fact that an everyday choice could have serious consequences.

Roadworks will include resurfacing, anti-skid surfacing at some junctions, improvements to existing signs and lines as well as additional signs and lines. Speed limit repeater signs will be added and the introduction of speed limit roundels on the highway have also been proposed. These measures are planned to be introduced by next April, as reported in last week’s Mercury.