Sir – When in charge of a vehicle we assess risk on our terms. We are in an environment that has been developed through many iterations and at great cost to protect us.
From this environment we are guided by the cues of road width and physical environment of which Mark McArthur-Christie speaks (Letters, September 3); but that’s only part of the story.
Our assessment may also be influenced by how late we are, by how many deliveries we need to fit into the time we have available, and by the behaviour of other vehicles creating a group consensus. The experience on the other side of the windscreen is very different. Over many years, the accumulation of our risk assessments behind the wheel has produced an understandable fear of traffic amongst more vulnerable road users to a point where adults are scared to cycle on our roads, and children are forbidden to do so.
20mph is an imperfect, but valiant, attempt to restore some balance and quality of life to our streets.
Perhaps when we’re prepared to accept driver liability, which recognises the disproportionate nature of risk for motorist, cyclist and pedestrian, then we can come back to the table and discuss the need for signs telling us how fast we can go.
In the meantime, a default 20mph limit throughout would permit the removal of a great deal of the street clutter.
Kevin Hickman, Witney
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