Vehicles charging down hill (Rosa Steppanova)

I fully share Elaine Skinley’s concerns regarding dangerous driving in Shetland and have had my fair share of near-misses i.e. having to pull onto the hard shoulder to avoid head-on collisions with overtaking cars, or slamming on the brakes to allow a driver to cut in in front of me.

I live next to the “Tresta Racing Track”, the stretch of the A971 leading from the top of Weisdale hill into the village.

Few if any Tresta folk dare walk along this road during the evening rush hour or at night any more, when vehicles come charging down Weisdale hill at 80 or 90 mph.

In the span of just three years, eleven cats and two dogs were killed on this road.

My daughter, walking on the grass verge, was hit by the wing mirror of an overtaking car, which left her badly bruised and in great pain. The driver didn’t even bother to stop, even though, as she stated to police later, she’d realised “she’d hit ‘something’(!)”.

Cars constantly overtake at high speed in the village, and drivers pay scant or no attention to the “slow down” signage and the fact that there are seven side roads leading off to the right.

Returning home during the post 5pm rush hour means taking one’s life into one’s own hands for all Tresta residents who live north (to the right) of the A971. Despite indicating in good time, on countless occasions, impatient and reckless drivers have overtaken me, and other villagers, just as we were about to turn into our drives.

Road safety campaigns are a good idea, but I have little hope in them alone solving the problem of dangerous and reckless driving in Shetland.

We tend to impose speed limits and outlaw overtaking once serious accidents have happened. Could we perhaps, from now on, do so before they happen?

I would like Elaine Skinley’s thoughts on this please.

Rosa Steppanova

Lea Gardens, Tresta