Last updated 15:57, Wednesday, 16 April 2008

THE appalling tragedy that happened last Saturday night on the A595 near Moota has left the whole community in a state of shock.

Even those who did not know the families personally cannot help but feel a sense of desperate sadness at the numbers involved and a strong desire to reach out and comfort the bereaved. The sentiment, no man is an island, was written some 400 years ago but still remains quite pertinent.

The number of terrible accidents on the A595 and A66 roads seem at total odds with the fact they run through some of the beautiful parts of our country.

Ironically, even this week there is the launch of yet another road safety campaign aimed at reducing the death toll. We all whole-heartedly support such campaigns, we all pledge that we will take extra care – and yet still the accidents continue.

Surely now is the time for a wholesale review of these roads and a long hard look at what can be done to make them even safer. There are a million and one causes of the accidents on these roads over the past few years – none of the drivers set out to deliberately crash. Extra or better signing, different road layouts and other changes may cost money but they would be worth every penny if they saved just one life.

And if road safety campaigns are considered effective, then let us have more of them. We all need reminding at times, no matter how good we think we are as a driver.

But for now, we can only view from a distance the dreadful reports of last weekend and express our deepest sympathy to all those involved.