SURELY it isn’t the same shop’, was the general reaction in the BFP offices last week among those who could remember the awful 2001 crash in Easton Street that left two people dead, as word of the latest accident spread.

Yet alarmingly, if predictably, it was. While a different estate agency may now occupy those premises in High Wycombe, the building was the same.

Thankfully, however, this time we did not have to report on any fatalities. Thankfully the sole occupant of the shop thought and acted quickly and, with a good deal of luck on his side, avoided serious injury or worse. But, even so, this was an incredibly close call and one that brought back too many uncomfortable memories of the horror of 13 years ago.

The question of safety was paramount back then, but time seems to have dulled the urgency that may once have been felt in getting adequate measures installed. Anyone who knows Amersham Hill, with that sharp bend as it turns into Easton Street, knows it is a treacherous spot if circumstances are against you.

In 2001, a lorry ploughed into the then-Aitchison’s building, with customer Sally Jamieson, 40, and Maggie Doel, 48, who worked at the estate agents, both losing their lives.

Investigation work is still underway on last week’s accident, so it would be premature to speculate over what caused that crash.

But, regardless, surely it is time better safety measures were put into effect? This can no longer even be in question – it should simply be a matter of determining what the most effective measures are and how quickly they can be installed.

Signs are in place on the hill, urging HGV drivers to check their brakes and turn into the escape lane, partway down the slope, if they seem faulty.

This, of course, is all well and good as a preventative measure, but it is a system dependant on several moving parts. Firstly, that the signs are well maintained and functioning (they are, at the time of writing, not working and awaiting repair). And also that people notice the signs and act upon them – that people are minded to follow the suggestion of checking their brakes at the right time – which they may well not bother to.

Hardly a foolproof mechanism, then. Of course it is no good going off half-cocked and shoving inappropriate safety measures in simply to keep people quiet (bollards, we are convincingly told, could be a huge danger to any vehicles crashing at speed) but surely it is time for the right kind of barrier to be installed.

It is largely down to luck that today’s BFP does not include a report on another tragedy in Easton Street, complete with heartfelt tributes from loved ones, rather than simply the follow-up report to a terrifying car accident.

And that does not seem like the sort of luck you would want to push too far.