I suppose, like an errant racehorse, I should be fitted with blinkers to keep my mind completely focused when driving. The trouble is, while tootling along, I can’t help but scan the fields to see how a farmer’s crop is doing or the hedgerows and copses for wildlife. My best spot was a peregrine falcon two fields away in an ash tree. I was thrilled, the passengers less so.
Once, I drove my car into the back of my wife’s Volvo when we were taking it to the garage: lapwings. I’ve had to change my ways. Rural driving is a serious matter. There were 1,603 deaths on rural roads in 2007, and now the Government is proposing reducing the speed on country roads to 50mph.
This must be a good thing, although it will almost certainly fail to address the real problem of reckless driving by young road-users. What we need is a restriction put on drivers who’ve just passed their test, on all roads for a period of a year.
The car kills more teenagers than all the drugs combined. Few of us grew up without knowing someone killed or maimed by a serious accident. We need a more targeted approach to the real problem.
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Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
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Exploring the countryside is essential for our wellbeing, but Right to Roam is going backwardsCampaigners in England often point to Scotland as an example of how brilliantly Right to Roam works, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, says Patrick Galbraith.
