I woke up this morning to the revelation that the head of the US secret service has stated that the assassination attempt of Mr Trump was able to take place as the roof where the rifleman was located, had a 'slope'. 

It was deemed not safe to inspect or place an agent on this roof. Thus resulting in loss of life and injuries to those in the crowd. 

Health and safety gone mad? What do we now consider dangerous in our society? What are the new boundaries? 

This leads me to the question of what risks we should we be willing to take today, to ensure the safety of others, and how we achieve sensible boundaries. I live in Orr's Meadow, a small group of residential buildings off the Alresford Road. 

(Image: Kristina Fearnley)

READ MORE HERE: Five injured in crash involving Stagecoach bus

Our road is also part of the A31, a dual carriage way with a speed limit of 70 mph. There was a terrible traffic accident which temporarily closed access towards Winchester and involved a Stagecoach bus. 

This is just one of many horrifying accidents that have occurred on this stretch of road. Many of them fatal. This is a road which has residential buildings along it, which has bus stops, and which has public byways that local walkers like to use. There is also frequent farm traffic. 

I do not understand why Hampshire Highways does not see the 70 mph speed limit on this stretch of road as a serious threat to life. The crash happened a few metres away from the bus stop where our collective teenagers stand to catch the bus to Peter Symonds every morning. There is no shelter for them, just a stick in the ground where they stand, next to the oncoming morning rush hour traffic, which comes towards them at speeds well over 70mph. Is this an acceptable risk for our young people to take every morning?

The counter argument will be that there is a central reservation. This 'reservation', however, is a strip of grass. Just as a sloping roof may be considered unsafe by the US secret service, I would suggest that a strip of grass is an ineffective barrier for preventing accidents on a dual carriageway.

The Stagecoach bus lost a number of windows in this morning's crash. Today, is the first day of school holidays for Peter Symonds. If this accident had happened yesterday, it would certainly have been full of college-age children. Is this an acceptable risk, today, in Hampshire?

Myself and other residents have spoken to the council and Hampshire Highways many times about safety on this road - the need to reduce the speed limit (to take account of the fact that this is also a residential road) and to improve the safety of those crossing the road and those waiting to catch the bus. Hampshire Highways have not listened and indeed we were once told that the bus stop would simply be taken away from us. How shortsighted when there is such a need for public transport all over the UK. 

I am thankful to hear that there were no fatalities this morning. But it is only a matter of time before there is. Please let us call for the safety of our rural bus stops in Hampshire to be improved, and for speed limits to be adjusted where there are residential homes and public byways. 
Let's not cry 'Health & Safety' but make a plea for common sense and the foresight to see when there are unacceptable dangers in our everyday lives. 

Kristina Fearnley,
Alresford Road, 
Orr's Meadow,

Alresford

Send letters by email to newsdesk@hampshirechronicle.co.uk or by post to Editor, Hampshire Chronicle, 5 Upper Brook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AL.

All letters and e-mails must include full names and addresses (anonymous letters will not be published), although these details may be withheld from publication, on request.

Letters of 300 words or less will be given priority, although all are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, or legal requirements. We reserve the right to edit letters.