In the Oxford Mail’s story, ‘Survey backs 20mph limit across city’ (October 30), it stated: “People in Oxford overwhelmingly back the idea of 20mph speed limits”.

It then continued to give facts and figures – such as £300,000 to erect signs.

The figures I found interesting were the very minute numbers who had responded and who had, in the council’s eyes, become an overwhelming majority.

The population of Oxford is approximately 116,000 and I note that 570 responded by forms etc, and 400 attended public meetings – a total of 970.

This equates to 0.8 per cent of the total and, of these, only two thirds were in favour.

This means that, in fact, only 0.59 per cent were in favour.

While it is a long time since I was at school, I fail to see how 0.59 per cent is an overwhelming majority – against the remaining 99.41 per cent of the total.

I realise that government, national and local, loves to pretend to hold open consultation, but it would surely have been fairer to send these forms to every household, rather than their very poorly advertised meetings – which appear to have been slanted towards minority groups supporting these proposals.

I am not in favour of these blanket proposals and I feel that the £300,000 would be more usefully spent on two full-time road safety officers (an old idea) whose sole job it would be to visit all schools to instruct youngsters how to cross the road, safely and properly, teach them their responsibilities, such as not running out between parked cars, and possibly how to be good cyclists and to obey the law.

The fault in my eyes is not motorists at 30mph but ill-informed youngsters who think they can do what they like – and who think that if they are injured, some politically correct idiot will scream for a zebra crossing, traffic lights, 20mph limits, road humps, chicanes or road closure.

Re-educate youngsters to cross roads safely.

DEREK SMITH London Road Headington Oxford