IT’S like trying to repair a Rolex with a mallet. That’s the verdict of a motoring expert on the city’s 20mph speed limits.

Mark McArthur-Christie, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, believes speed limits should reflect the behaviour of the law-abiding majority, not be used as a tool for speed reduction.

He says speed limits exist to keep in check the minority of drivers who would otherwise tear through towns at 50mph. They should be used to control the reckless few, in other words.

Artificially laying down rules to control behaviour — if it goes against most people’s logic — is surely futile and counter-productive.

Oxfordshire County Council is clearly acting with the noblest of motives, but is it going about things in the right way?

If for example – as it claims – it is true that a 1mph cut in average speeds results in a five per cent reduction in casualties, why not introduce a 19mph speed limit, or an 18mph limit?

While speed is a factor in many road accidents, surely the key cause of accidents is bad driving, whether it is driving too fast for the conditions or not paying proper attention behind the wheel.

Perhaps taxpayers’ money would have been better spent on preventative measures such as education and improved roads.