Sir – I think Mark McArthur Christie is correct in his suggestion regarding driving in 20mph zones (Report, May 29). Many years ago I was fortunate to attend a driving course run by three ex-police driving instructors from the Hendon police training school.


The message that came over was that you drive to the road condition and not to the speedo. You concentrated on the road — constantly updating the situation and adjusting your driving accordingly, The speedometer was just an appendage.


Our rigid method of speed enforcement (30mph – good, 31mph – bad – automatically applied) forces drivers to drive on the speedometer. There is, of course, no safe speed as such. A ‘safe speed’ is constantly changing according to the conditions.


Because we have this rigid system, anyone trying to avoid points and possibly lose their job must drive on the speedometer.


At 20mph a vehicle will travel, in one second, approximately ten yards. Allowing approximately three seconds to look down at the speedometer, take note of the speed and then to re-focus on the road, the vehicle would have travelled approximately 30 yards. Plenty of time for a child to step out into the road. Every time one checks the speedometer you drive blind for 30 yards. Safe driving?


At 30mph this stretches to approximately 44 yards. Is this really road safety? Mr Christie is right. Taking away the fear of the camera (and, therefore, the need to constantly check the speedo) and drive to the conditions, you would have spotted the child long before he reached the kerb.


Finally, can anyone tell me why it is considered bad driving to be travelling at 32mph with a stopping distance in the region of 75ft, but to be a good driver you drive at 30mph on ice with a stopping distance in the region of 750ft. That’s the problem of a rigid system.


Brian Wallis, Middle Barton