I see the hoary chestnut of SH2 has now moved from Letters to the Editor to the reportage pages.

It really is time to bury this issue, for the time being at least until the outcomes are seen from the latest Government SH2 part-funding announcement.

Regardless – and I am growing extremely weary of repeating this – the SH2 prime problem is driver incompetence not, as the likes of Andy Earl would suggest, the road itself.

I have deliberated this with shuttle and truck drivers on SH2, highly experienced and respected professionals, and I have myself more than 60 years international driving experience, and we all firmly agree on the extremely poor driving standards leading to the high SH2 accident rate.

We have never encountered such poor driving as exists in the Bay of Plenty – ‘stop' and ‘give way' signs and roundabout rules are frequently ignored and indicators are optional extras. Not to mention stupid overtaking, unthinking lane-hoggers and pushy tailgaters. An absolute disgrace but, to be positive, let's consider two helpful suggestions for improvement: spend more time and money on the teaching of young learner driving skills, and after the age of 65 introduce a three-yearly driving check. Let's just do it!

P Hickling, Papamoa Beach.