Dear Editor, Peter Roberts of the Drivers Alliance (letters, April 8).

Reducing speed limit is not the answer to improving casualty rates.

He spends to much time cocooned in his tin box.

I commute to work in Birmingham by bicycle and I can confirm from experience that being hit by a vehicle travelling at 30 mph is a lot less fun than being hit by one travelling at 20mph, even where the faster vehicle benefits from all modern safety features.

It is no consolation to appreciate that an accident is one of the 96.3 per cent of accidents caused by mere inattention.

Perhaps the answer would be to ensure that all inattentive motorists are preceeded by a man with a red flag to warn other road users of their arrival.

How far does Mr Roberts expect to travel through residential streets if he considers that driving at 30mph rather than 20mph will make a significant difference to his journey time?

He obviously believes his status as a motorist overrides the rights and wishes of anyone else who wants to use the urban space.

If we follow Mr Roberts argument to its logical conclusion, then there would be no need to have speed limits at all as this would be safer.

Why should we pay attention to these selfish and impatient people?

David Barbour

Four Oaks

Sutton Coldfield

West Midlands