LETTER: A285 is not a dangerous road

The fallow deer and badgers just go for it.

The partridges and pheasants have a death wish. The magpies, crows and pigeons just play chicken.

You just have to accept that if you hit or are hit by one it can be more or less expensive depending on your speed.

There is no point swerving into the path of oncoming traffic to avoid it or into the trees as they are too well screwed down.

You did the speed accept the damage.

Mr Tuppers cows are allways perfectly well behaved and chaperoned at all times when they cross the road.

The signage on this road is at times laughable in complexity and hiding behind vegetation in others.

What is the point of mowing under overhanging trees and vegetation when it grows right out to and over the edge of the road?

The trees and vegetation need to be cut back to 2m from the edge of the road and to a hight of 4.5m.

This will allow lorries/ buses to travel without fear of damaging mirrors – loss of a mirror to these vehicles is as bad as losing an eye.

If the vegetation and trees are cut back it will improve the line of sight and increase the speed.

At least two ‘supercars’ driven by properly trained drivers have come to grief on this road which proves that if you drive too fast and it goes wrong it goes very wrong.

The point that has been made about speed is a double edged sword as on parts of this road a brisk walking speed is plenty fast enough but traveling at 30mph on others is far too slow and leads to frustration and queues of vehicles overtaking far too late for oncoming traffic when a bend is approached.

Two vehicles travelling at only 40mph is still a closing speed of 80 and can be fatal.

If the double white line tactic is used it will only be ignored or mean following a pedal cycle at say ten to 15mph for miles or making an illegal overtaking move in order to pass with a safe margin.

If the cycle is traveling much faster than that it will probably be on an organised ‘time trial’ (race) as racing even on a bicycle is I believe illegal on the public highway and there will be dozens of them of varying abilities spread in groups up to four abreast along the road.

Motor cycles seem to be a law unto themselves.

A statutary speed limit will just be ignored.

Now to agricultural vehicles.

This is a country road and unfortunately farms are in the countryside.

If you cannot cope with following some of your next meal or the equipment to produce it for a while until the driver can pull over safely the answer is a dual carrageway.

It will be faster, safer and with room to overtake slow moving traffic.

See if you can get that past the national park authority.

No smart comments about compost, fertiliser or manure – remember the carbon cycle.

In short if I or others drive like prats we will have some kind of accident and be another statistic on the A285.

Perhaps it is time to just accept Darwinism will rule.