ROAD safety campaigner Graham Chappell – set to meet Roads Minister Mike Penning in January - believes the smallest problems can sometimes have disastrous consequences on Fenland roads.

Mr Chappell’s comments were posted to our website following an accident earlier this month in which a driver managed to escape just before his car plunged into the Sixteen Foot near Christchurch.

“The hazards of driving on river adjacent roads were again highlighted by this accident,” he said.

One reader’s comment that many accidents on Fenland roads could be prevented if people drove slower was criticised by Mr Chappell who described it as an “uncharitable” view.

He said the fact the driver in this instance managed to escape before the vehicle crashed into the water “strongly indicates that he was indeed travelling slowly enough to do so.

“Road travel for people in the rural Fens is an unavoidable fact of life. When temperatures remain sub-zero for many days at a time, we all have to leave our homes and travel sometimes, in spite of the weather.”

Mr Chappell says despite precautions taken by most drivers “the fact is people do have to travel and some accidents will happen, sometimes even to the most cautious drivers”.

Michelle Lynch, whose husband Dean Hawes and seven-year-old son Jordan died on the Forty Foot five years ago, said it was made clear at the inquest there was no evidence of her husband driving above the speed limit.

“So to imply that people are silly is unacceptable when you actually have no idea of the circumstances and neither should you judge,” she said.

Michelle said she was still heartbroken by the accident “and the pain never goes away”.