Sir – Three highly professional, safety-conscious drivers have condemned Oxford’s new 20mph limits: IAM observer Mark McArthur-Christie, and driving instructors Richard Clapham and Colin Prickett.

Like Mr McArthur-Christie, I enjoy cycling in Oxford but dislike and fear motor vehicles dawdling near me at 20mph.

Motorists endanger cyclists not with their speed but by leaving too little room, eg when emerging from a side turning or overtaking. The latter is prolonged if the motorist is made to pass more slowly; the former is not improved as most vehicles emerge from a side turning at less than 20 anyway. As it is motor vehicles’ proximity that endangers cyclists, the new 20 limit in the huge width of St Giles is particularly pointless.

The 20 limit in Morrell Avenue is widely ignored because it is the wrong speed for a road of that width and level of visibility.

The same goes for new 20 limits in Headington Road and London Road between Pullens Lane and Osler Road, and link roads including Bayswater Road, Blackbird Leys Road, Cuddesdon Way, Five Mile Drive, Littlemore Road, Sandford Road and Warneford Lane. These roads have had accidents in the past, but they were caused by road users either exceeding the 30 limit or doing something else wrong.

Neither the county council nor campaigners for 20mph limits have produced evidence that any casualty ever resulted from a vehicle being correctly driven at more than 20 but less than 30.

Mr Clapham’s job is all about road safety. He has catalogued numerous unsafe incidents between cyclists and his car in which he believes the 20 limit was a factor.

Cyclox chairman James Styring’s rude retort “I don’t really believe what Mr Clapham is saying” is tantamount to blocking his ears and crying “La la la la, not listening”.

Hugh Jaeger, Oxford