Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – The ITO Road Casualties UK Map and associated statistics (Courier, November 22) is an interesting if sombre resource.
However, your use of it fails to demonstrate the A9 to be Scotland’s most dangerous road. You quote 200 accidents per year, a large number which may not be surprising considering that it is a long road, stretching some 270 miles from Falkirk to Thurso.
Is this out of proportion to the figure for, say, the next longest trunk road in Scotland, the A82 from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William (157 miles)?
It is reasonable to focus on the Perth to Inverness section of the A9 as this seems to be where the fatalities are concentrated.
The above resource could be used to identify the number of accidents per mile on this 114-mile stretch and compare it with corresponding figures for similar trunk routes such as the A90 (Perth-Fraserburgh, 135 miles), the A75 (Gretna-Stranraer, 98 miles), and the A96 (Aberdeen-Inverness, 101 miles) all of which have been claimed to be dangerous.
Robust data showing that this middle section of the A9 has a higher casualty rate than comparable roads would strenghten the case for its upgrading. I am not aware of your newspaper having published such data.
I would also venture to suggest that some of the protest about this road comes from people who ingenuously deplore the supposedly worst accident rate when what they really want is a road on which they can drive faster.
Arthur Davis.Kinnaird Steading,Pitlochry.
Lower speed can increase dangers
Sir, – As one who had responsibility for road traffic safety I remember a report of some years ago which supports Mr Beveridge’s view that traffic speed is not the only factor in road accidents.
A road similar to Riverside, in that it was an entry and exit route of a town, had a limit of 40mph which was reduced to 30mph because of complaints about the number of accidents involving pedestrians trying to cross the road.
The lower speed apparently gave pedestrians the impression it was now safer to cross, more did try to cross and the number of accidents increased.
In pre-politically correct days I would have referred to Murphy’s Law but now must settle for the ‘law of unintended consequences’.
Andrew Lawson.9 MacLaren Gardens,Dundee.
England would need to re-apply
Sir, – With reference to the report by your political editor, David Clegg, on Scotland’s position in the EU subsequent to its projected independence, may I point out that, as an equally new state, England will have to follow parallel procedures to those of Scotland, either to retain membership of the EU or to renegotiate from a different constitutional perspective. For, as I understand the inevitable sequence of events, once one of two kingdoms leaves the United Kingdom, the UK no longer exists.
The two kingdoms may be deemed to inherit the rights and obligations of the United Kingdom, or neither does. Alternatively do we go back to 1603 and unpick all our international agreements since then?
Which kingdom would scramble to re-colonise Canada, Australia or New Zealand, make peace with Russia after Crimea or sign an armistice with the Kaiser or Nazi Germany?
David Clegg’s first sentence gives us the answer: “The UK Government has blocked access to legal advice.”
Malcolm Black.Lag-an-Tobair,Connel.
Don’t waste golf opportunity
Sir, – You reported in Thursday’s Courier on the success of Fife in gaining many prestigious golf tourism awards, the highlight being the International Association of Golf Tour Operators Trophy for top destination in Europe 2012.
This is a splendid achievement and brings the prospect of increased tourism to the area.
I sincerely hope the custodians of all the golf courses, resorts and hotels who have joined the new initiative of the Fife Golf Partnership under the chairmanship of Keith Winter will consider very carefully the impact on tourism if all the planning applications for industrial windfarms in Fife are approved.
Lesley Haines.High Beley,St Andrews.
Easy ways to cut our debt
Sir, – David Cameron is all of a dither: “Cutting the debt is harder than he expected”. What did the man expect?
Checking out the latest Office of National Statistics figures on Government borrowings since April this year it seems we are already in the red to the tune of £68.3 billion.
To save the faces of the poor of this country being ground completely into the dust the following arithmetic would supply an answer to our problems.
Let the coalition cut the following catastrophic national scandals: £18 billion on “global warming subsidies”; £13 billion on further immigration; £4 billion on the asylum farce; £15 billion on annual membership of the doomed EUSSR; £9.1 billion on foreign aid.
At this point we have reached the £60 billion mark. Add the billions spent on dubious wars and “social engineering” projects and even the dimmest can see the way home.
Alastair Harper.House of Gask,Lathalmond,by Dunfermline.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.