I AM delighted the driver and passengers survived an accident outside our house in April with only minor injuries. They were extraordinarily lucky in that among the very first to arrive on the scene were an off-duty fireman and a nurse on her way to work. In the more than 20 years that we have lived here, we have lost count of the number of vehicles that have visited our garden, though there had been hope that, with this year’s growth, the hedge would finally have healed itself from the last visit. Inappropriate speed has usually been the root cause of the accidents.

I am also delighted that the Hereford Times is supporting a campaign for safer driving. Many times over the years have I tried to interest the council and the parish councils (Aymestrey and Kingsland: the stretch of road straddles the parish boundary, although our house is itself in Kingsland) in imposing a speed limit on this stretch of road. Despite attending parish council meetings and site visits, and with strong support from the Aymestrey parish council, no speed limit has been allowed. The council blames DoT regulations for not being able to act, as this is classified as an A road. To be fair to the council, resurfacing work on the bend was undertaken, which has been effective in cutting the frequency of accidents.

At a time when speed limits seem to be popping up like mushrooms, it seems strange a recognised problem stretch of road does not get included. There was, however, a novelty to the recent accident, in that a vehicle travelling away from Kingsland was involved, rather than as more usually, cars coming from Mortimer’s Cross, taking the bend too fast.

Martin Thomas, Mortimer's Cross