It’s a sure sign summer is on its way.
A bit of a scalping to allow the warming rays in among the roots.
A good cut back is always a way to promote growth, but I couldn’t help noticing that the holiday haircut of my increasingly balding pate shared a similarity with Angus roadside verges which have also been trimmed to the bare of late.
Shaved budgets which have cut down on the frequency of verge cutting mean we’re now seeing rural routes snipped to the earth in places, and with it the loss of attractive, insect-friendly wildflowers.
What’s often exposed in their place is the disgusting detritus of mankind’s laziness and lack of environmental respect in the form of litter of every form and type.
There’s a balance to be struck with verge cutting, because it’s a undeniable fact that it’s absolutely necessary from a safety point of view.
Particularly at junctions on Angus rural roads where, as we heard last week, the vast majority of our accidents occur.
Angus, tragically, isn’t doing well in terms of reversing crash casualty figures and the data which showed the county missed three of its four key targets in terms of cutting death and injury is bad news.
Because behind every entry on the table of serious accident statistics is a terrible human story of life-changing injury or heartbreaking loss.
The debate it trigged included a backlash from middle-aged bikers after it was suggested they might benefit from shock tactic education similar to that directed through the emotionally powerful Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign at teenagers about to embark on life on the open road.
It came after the inescapable fact was highlighted that men from their mid-40s on high-powered machinery die with depressing frequency in Tayside.
Speed certainly kills, but accidents causes are very much more complex than a heavy right foot.
Including the fact that while the volume of vehicles races upwards, the condition of our roads seems to be going in the opposite direction.
We all probably think we’re decent enough on the roads, whether on four wheels or two, but equally most of us probably realise fate could have disaster lurking around the very next corner.
Taking personal responsibility seriously every time you turn the key will at least reduce the risk of a brush with disaster.
