Dear Editor

As I read your headline in a recent Gazette, about yet another serious collision on one of Herefordshire’s main roads, I couldn’t help being reminded of the poor record of accidents in the county.

It might be of interest to readers to know that the official figures for people killed in road incidents per head of population in Herefordshire during 2014 suggest that there is ample room for improvement when compared with many other local authority areas.

For instance, the Council could start by removing all non-standard commercial road signs from the roadsides which are illegal under the Highways Act 1980. How many drivers have been distracted by these signs?

We all know that Herefordshire Council and the police have to prioritise their spending. However, I feel sure it wouldn’t cost a great deal to tackle some of the contributory problems. As your readers will be aware there are many more than just the one mentioned above. What price should we be willing to pay for a human life?

Peter Dewhurst

Ross-on-Wye