Sir — I agree with Vernon Porter (Letters, October 24) that a 20mph limit may not be ideal on some main roads, but on others, narrower, at least in part, and perhaps more congested than the Banbury and Woodstock Roads, there is still a case for a lower limit.

In stating the ways that cyclists can irritate other road users, he seems to imply that motorists cant be just as irritating to cyclists. The failings of drivers, as irritating as those of cyclists, often pass with less comment.

No doubt cyclists have to understand motorists' desire to make progress — many motorists make their desire very clear — but cyclists want to make progress too! In many parts of central Oxford, certainly at busy times of day, cyclists will often be faster, while observing the Highway Code, than motor vehicles over quite some distance, but many motorists seem not to understand this and, often aggressively or dangerously, push in front of a cyclist only then to block the path of the cyclist or for the cyclist to pass them seconds later and then remain ahead for some distance or until vehicle and cycle go separate ways.

Motorists who don't also cycle perhaps don't realise, when cocooned in their cars, that the cyclist is usually putting in greater effort to make progress.

Remaining behind a cyclist in heavy traffic will probably not much affect a driver's overall journey time, while overtaking dangerously or only to then force the cyclist to slow down is bound to irritate the cyclist. An irritated cyclist might, perhaps, be as dangerous as an irritated motorist.

Tom Knollys Oxford