Sir, I have had to drive the A9 on several occasions. These journeys were undertaken towing a caravan and as a solo car. I was held up on several occasions not by HGVs, not by agricultural vehicles, not by caravans but by ordinary cars and a motorhome.
The result was the formation of long “convoys”, sometimes reaching back as far as my mirrors would allow me to see.
When a section of dual carriageway presented itself, it was not long enough to allow the queue to disperse and dangerous manoeuvres were observed by drivers trying to make a last-minute attempt to rid themselves of the offending vehicle(s).
Many of the problems caused on the Perth to Inverness section of this road are by drivers of private cars not maintaining a reasonable speed consistent with being on a trunk road. Another problem occurs when the drivers following the first slow-moving vehicle appear not to have the competence to overtake the offendingvehicle when a safe opportunity presents itself.
I object strongly at being forced into driving in third and fourth gear on a trunk road just because someone thinks it’s acceptable to drive at speeds well under 50mph.
With evidence from these proposed cameras, will slow drivers be prosecuted as well as those who break the speed limit?
Those in authority should be tackling the A9 problem from the slow or incompetent angle, instead of the usual line of “reducing speed cures all ills.”
Bob Thomson. 5 Kinloch Street, Ladybank.
Give the police more funding
Sir, Having followed the ongoing debate about the A9 and the proposed installation of speed cameras, I wonder why no-one has suggested giving the money to Police Scotland for the express purpose of policing the road, which in itself is not dangerous only drivers are dangerous. Policemen on bikes cheaper to buy and run, more mobile than cars could perhaps reverse the reputation that this road has, I think wrongly, of being a killer.
There is probably a case for better signage and roadmarking for foreign visitors but, for most of us, it’s just a case of paying attention and those riding bikes know that. That’s why I would suggest police bikers on this road; they may not raise any revenue but they will, just by their presence, cause drivers to think and thereby may save lives
G. Stewart. Springbank, Clayholes, By Carnoustie.
Cash needed elsewhere
Sir, I am impressed with the rush to dual the A9 Perth to Inverness road, which hopefully will save a handful of lives each year.
But with this Government’s mad rush for green energy, pushing more and more people into fuel poverty, literally tens of thousands of mostly elderly people are going to die of cold-related illnesses.
It’s a sad reflection onsociety that we seem to have our priorities skewed for headlines rather thanhumanity.
Bob Duncan. 110 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.
Driving on A9 was atrocious
Sir, As a regular business user of the A9, I recently made a return journey over the Dunkeld to Aviemoresection.
Driving up to the speed limit when possible and safe to do so, but not exceeding it and overtaking only when it was safe, my average speed over the 140 miles was 42mph, which raises questions over the benefits of average speed cameras.
Perhaps the money would be better used on more individual cameras focused on known danger areas or increased police patrols.
The standard of driving of some car and van drivers was atrocious tailgating, jostling for position, disregard of hatched areas and dangerous overtaking, particularly at the end of dual carriageway or three-lane sections.
Supermarket trucks travelling at the statutory 40mph on single carriageways were, as always, followed by long queues interspersed with tailgating and reckless overtaking, while trucks driving at an officially illegal 55mph or 60mph blended in with the flow of traffic. It has to be asked: which is more likely to cause an accident?
Despite high trafficvolumes, in over three hours I only saw one marked police vehicle a motorcycle which was one more than usual. When the new A9 was completed in the 1980s, traffic was much lighter but marked patrol cars more frequent.
John Milne. 15 Birch Avenue, Blairgowrie.
The start of history
Sir, I was interested to see Jack Wishart’s plan for a global reunion in St Andrews of people with his name (Monday’s Courier). It is 500 years since the birth of Protestant reformer George Wishart. His execution and the subsequent murder, in 1546, of Cardinal Beaton, who ordered it, has had a profound effect on the Scottish psyche for centuries. The start of antagonisms between Protestant and Catholic began all that time ago in the beautiful Fife coastal town.
I often see tourists perusing the martyrs’ monument overlooking the West Sands in St Andrews. Perhaps only a few are aware of the background to the deaths of Wishart, Patrick Hamilton, Henry Forrest, and Walter Mill whose names are enshrined there. But I’m certain their place in history is a very significant one. Their actions and beliefs help explain an awful lot about the successes and failures of this country in the 21st century.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.