Eighteen people have been killed and hundreds injured on a major road during the past ten years, police figures have revealed.

Statistics compiled by Sussex Police show the A27 between Lewes and Polegate was the scene of 516 accidents resulting in injuries in the decade up to 2005.

The worst years for deaths were 1998, 2000 and 2002, with three people dying in each of those periods. The worst year for accidents was 1997, when there were 66 incidents.

In 2005 there were no fatalities on the stretch - the only year of the past ten when there were no deaths.

Campaigners have been calling for road improvements on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate for years.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service produced a summary of crashes since 2001 and found there had been ten deaths on the road in the past five years. They have asked motorists to slow down to prevent more crashes.

Many people have died trying to overtake on the Firle straight between Lewes and Polegate.

In April an eight-year-old girl was killed when the car she was travelling in tried to overtake another vehicle on the single-lane stretch of the road.

In 2003 a taxi driver died after a crash involving an overtaking car.

The Firle straight is one of the few lengthy stretches of straight road between Lewes and Polegate. It is used by 20,000 people every day.

The Highways Agency said it was carrying on a rolling programme of safety improvements on the A27 to try to reduce accidents. The latest project has been to improve the junction at Charleston Farm.

A spokesman said: "Safety on our roads is of the highest importance and we are always looking at ways to improve the safety of users on all our roads.

"Previously, to turn into Charleston Farm you would have had to stop and indicate right. This would have meant stopping just after the brow of a hill on a busy single lane carriageway.

"We have put in a dedicated right hand turn to reduce the risk of shunts from behind.

"We have also put in new line marking for better sight."

A spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "If a road has a bad accident record we would expect the relevant highways authority or the Highways Agency to be looking at possible engineering solutions.

"Accident figures such as these also remind drivers to take extra care. People should be aware of the dangers of the road and should take those into account when travelling.

"For example, they should allow enough time for their journey so they do not take unnecessary risks."