I see in the Gazette that a lad was killed in a motorbike and car crash at the Street Hill crossroads - what the Gazette calls "the notorious Marshalls Elm junction".

I send my deep sympathy to Adam Clacee's family, and also feel concern for the car driver involved, who is now being prosecuted for careless driving.

Without going into the details of this accident, I'd like to offer my two penn'orth on the crossroads involved.

I had to negotiate the hair-raising turn out of the road from Kingweston into the main Somerton road every school day for 19 years. Over time I learned what to do.

The Highway Code would tell me to position the car towards the middle of the smaller road and wait for a gap in the traffic in the main road. I found that any car coming up behind me was sure to position itself to my left, so that my view of the traffic from Somerton was blocked, and the other driver couldn't see what was coming from Street.

I therefore kept to the left until the very last moment (while signalling right) and then turned the wheel sharply, leaving the car diagonally across the carriageway. In this way I not only stopped another car from blocking my view, but could put my foot hard down when there was a gap in the traffic, and be on my way down the hill towards Street as quickly as possible.

Until traffic lights are installed, I recommend this manoeuvre to all motorists.