Police and the Automobile Association are concerned there will be a serious crash at a central Oamaru intersection where motorists continue to drive from the state highway into a no-entry street.
Senior Constable Bruce Dow, of Oamaru, said on Monday he pulled over a driver from Mosgiel making his way up Coquet St - a road marked with two signs not to enter - after they pulled out of Thames St across a SH1 intersection.
The driver said he was confused by the abundance of street signs in the area, Snr Const Dow said.
Since the intersection was created eight years ago it had caused confusion for motorists, he said.
"It's a risk to public safety. We're lucky we haven't had a crash at that intersection.''
Flashing no-entry lights needed to be installed at the intersection to inform oncoming motorists they could not enter Coquet St.
But New Zealand Transport Agency senior safety engineer Roy Johnston said flashing signs could create a hazard or distraction and so were not a measure the agency supported at the site.
An agency representative would meet representatives from the New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) to discuss concerns and options.
"The AA is concerned that some people do drive the wrong way through the Coquet St intersection from time to time.''
However, given drivers were at traffic lights, meaning they accelerated through the intersection from a stopped position or at low speed, no serious crashes had yet resulted.
The agency needed to look at how driver behaviour at that intersection fitted into its safety priorities for the state highway network, where it knew it had more serious crash situations that would benefit from resources and safety upgrades.
Any solution, therefore, would depend on prioritisation in relation to other projects that might have a higher safety risk rating, Mr Johnston said.
Over the past five years, there had been no crashes at the intersection related to people driving the wrong way into Coquet St.
"In this case, we have highlighted the 'no entry' with signage and markings and requested police undertake enforcement as their priorities allow.''
AA's North Otago district council chairman Martin McFelin said the layout of the intersection needed looking at.
"In its current form, it's causing confusion, especially for visiting drivers, and that could lead to safety issues.
"We think some minor tweaks would lead to big improvements.''
