Sir – As a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists it was disappointing to note that Oxfordshire County Council is continuing to pursue its aim of reintroducing the Locomotive Act and the practice of requiring any motorised vehicle to be preceded by a man with a red flag.

I refer to the Public Notices published in The Oxford Times which aim to introduce no less than 60 speed reductions on the county’s roads. These reductions are as a result of the council’s review of speed limits which has, all too predictably, resulted in the wholesale reduction of limits such that I doubt any road in the county is now subject to the national speed limit. I note that the council has chosen to publish all the proposals together, thereby presenting an all-or-nothing situation which undoubtedly is designed to dissuade objectors. A very clever tactic, and one that effectively undermines democracy. I would ask when is the council ever going to wake up to the fact that its relentless pursuit of lower speed limits is failing the public, especially seeing that despite countless reductions Oxfordshire saw a 20 per cent rise in road deaths in 2008, but I fear such a question would fall on deaf ears.

Particularly since the council appears to have stuck its fingers in its ears and chosen to denounce the report highlighting that a year on from the introduction of 20mph limits in Plymouth the number of people killed or seriously injured has remained unchanged. The claim that a 1mph reduction results in a five per cent reduction in accidents, as quoted by council spokesman Paul Smith, is often preached by evangelists who fail to report that the claim is based on data that is decades old and has no real relevance to today. I would urge all responsible motorists to object to the council’s proposals before you find yourself in need of buying a red flag.

Glenn Comiskey, Stanford in the Vale