METHODIST minister Tony Brazier believes his wife's death may have been avoided if council bosses had paid to grit the road where she died.

An inquest this week revealed that mother-of-three Mrs Brazier, 55, of Rutland Avenue, High Wycombe, died in January when her Vauxhall Corsa hit black ice and collided head-on with another vehicle on the Wycombe Road in Marlow Bottom.

At the time of the accident Bucks County Council was being criticised for reducing spending on gritting roads throughout the county.

Mr Brazier said the county had a duty to grit roads in the winter.

Most of us realise that the county council is under pressure to reduce spending, but any reduction in the gritting of roads in the winter has the potential to cost council taxpayers more in the long run.

If accidents happen, it is the county's emergency services who are called upon. The loss of any parent is a terrible tragedy and the loss of a bread-winner may lead to taxpayers digging into their pocket to help out financially. Sometimes the help of social services is needed.

The county must consider the wider repercussions of saving a few thousand pounds on gritting.

Moreover, although we realise that not every road can be gritted at all times, motorists should be informed whether or not gritting has been done. They should not be left to get into their vehicles guessing the road conditions.

It could be too late.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.