I REFER to the September 13 edition of the Somerset Mercury covering the Cheddar, Axbridge and Wedmore areas and your leading page article headed 'A38 on

I REFER to the September 13 edition of the Somerset Mercury covering the Cheddar, Axbridge and Wedmore areas and your leading page article headed 'A38 on top 10 crash hit list'. I note David Gollicker's whinge about local drivers who he states are to blame for the spate of accidents on this stretch of road, which I assume he means that extending between Rooksbridge and Shute Shelf.However the A38 does not pass through the village of Cross. It passes through Lower Weare only, Upper Weare being half a mile or more away, and it passes nowhere near the Allertons.I do strongly object to being classed as a dangerous driver. I have been a car driver in this area for over 30 years and in that time there has been a massive increase in traffic use of the A38, including holiday traffic and I do wonder how many 'accidents' are caused by local drivers/residents. Mr Gollicker seems to think excessive speed is the only cause of accidents. However more accidents are caused by driver's inattention, carelessness, or a genuine mistake. Speeding is one cause, but far from the only cause and speed limits should reflect this. In my opinion the present 30 mph speed limits through the villages of Lower Weare and Rooksbridge are unrealistically low and do not reflect that the A38 is a wide main road with generally excellent visibility both ways, pavements for pedestrians on one or both sides in both villages, no schools, village halls, churches or similar community buildings abutting it and the only shop in Rooksbridge is the post office, which is set well back from the road. The speed limit in both villages could, in my opinion, therefore be increased to 40 mph without prejudicing the safety of the residents.The present speed limit through both the villages merely leads to bunching of traffic, ie driving nose to tail, and driver frustration, which so often leads to accidents. There are no less than six changes of speed limit over a length of between three and four miles between the edge of Rooksbridge and the foot of Shute Shelf, which must be totally confusing for outsiders let alone the local residents. Why is it necessary to have so many changes in speed limit over such a short distance? ROGER FIELDER - Stone Allerton, Nr Axbridge