A former paramedic said he feels road safety measures are needed at the junction of a rural Perthshire road where an elderly woman lost her life.
Alastair McLean (52), of Fletcher Place, Crieff, was speaking after the ”tragic” death of Rhoda Lawton (78), of Viewlands Road, Perth, following the accident on the unclassified Perth to Madderty road, at the Tibbermore junction.
The incident took place at 10am on Friday and involved a silver Renault Laguna and a blue Mazda car. Ms Lawton was a passenger in the Mazda, along with four other elderly women.
Mr McLean said he feels the road is not to blame, having himself seen only two accidents there in 10 years in his time working as a paramedic. He said it is ”tragic” that another life has been lost and others have been injured but to claim the road is dangerous ”is distracting from the facts”.
”The road doesn’t change overnight; the only changing factor is the people using the road and the changing conditions,” he said.
”You get some motorists driving very slowly causing frustration, or those who drive at excessive speed, and it’s the innocent persons who suffer.”
He continued: ”The one thing that badly needs addressing is the obstructed views that drivers have to contend with due to owners of properties allowing hedges and the like to extend far beyond their boundaries.
”The hedges cause obstruction, but if you ask Perth and Kinross Council about cutting one they quote you some new rule where you can’t because of nesting birds.”
Mr McLean also feels that vehicles parked at junctions pose potential risks to drivers.
”Parking at junctions and bends is a practice that seems to have become the norm these days, despite the rules of the Highway Code,” he added.
”Both Tayside Police and the council have a responsibility and it was about time they exercised these and enforced the cutting of hedges and the illegal parking. I am sure by these simple actions some lives can be saved.”
The 24-year-old female driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision – a young mother who had three children with her in her car – has also called for improvements to the road.
In a posting on the Tayside Police Facebook site, she said: ”I was the other driver in this incident.
”I cannot feel any worse than I already do – that road is a very dangerous road and there should be something done about this.”
And another person posted: ”It’s the hedge coming from the Methven side that is the problem.
”You’re halfway out on to the road with a car before you see what is coming.”
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said it is the responsibility of landowners to ensure that hedges are properly cut back so they don’t cause any obstruction to road users.
”When overgrown hedges come to our attention, we will request that the landowner takes action,” he said.
Inspector Grant Edwards, of Tayside Police’s road policing unit, said parking in the local authority area is ”decriminalised” and is the responsibility of Perth and Kinross Council.
”We still deal with dangerous parking and take action on it,” he said.
”In terms of road safety legislation, parking is the responsibility of the council.”
Tayside Police is appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, and who either saw the collision or the vehicles involved prior to the collision taking place, to contact them on 0300 111 2222.
A report on the accident has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.