Not that it makes much difference what time of year it is, but there does always seem to be more car accidents in the summer months.

As the saying goes, rain is nature's policeman.

I had a near-death experience on the A21 the other night. My other half missed the last train from London, so a midnight trip to Tonbridge suddenly came on the agenda.

I had just passed the national speed limit signs leaving Hastings, just past the A28 turn-off, and was accelerating down the hill.

The first thing I saw was a van parked on the south-bound lane with its hazard lights on... and then I saw nothing.

Helpfully, coming up behind it was an enormous truck with its headlights on full beam. I could barely see 10ft in front of me.

Erring on the side of caution, I slowed to an almost-stop -which was lucky, because the idiot truck driver didn't give way as he was supposed to, and pulled out to overtake. Lucky, because if I had assumed he had any common sense, I would be dead.

Second-up, I later ended up behind a fancy sports car, doing 40mph on a 60mph stretch. At 12.30am. With a clear road ahead.

Having not long passed my test, I know that going at that speed is almost as dangerous as speeding -not keeping up with the road conditions.

So what was this supposedly fast car doing going so slowly? Well, from the way his brake-lights flickered at every junction, and every car passing in the opposite direction, I can only assume that Mr Motorist was not as sober as perhaps he should be, and was being a little over-cautious.

Maybe it is the sunshine that encourages us to take more risks. All I know is that people should value their lives a bit more, whatever the weather.