JAMES Styring (On Yer Bike, Oxford Mail, March 9) demands police enforce Oxford’s 20mph limit.

Police resources are always finite but especially in a recession, so what other policing does James want cut to enforce this limit?

James decries road lobbyists as “vocal” but it was he and his ‘Twenty is Plenty’ allies who in recent years have vocally demanded lower speed limits.

He calls his allies “every section of the community” but implies this excludes motorists – a large majority of the adult population.

James uses generalised national figures to imply that just because a limit is reduced from 30 to 20, traffic will tend to adopt the lower speed. Actually the DfT says 20mph limits reduce speeds by only one mph unless they include traffic calming.

Pedestrian survival rates are much higher when hit by a vehicle at 20mph rather than 30mph so James claims city-wide 20mph limits can reduce casualty rates and severity.

However, most Oxford residential roads already had no casualties so there was nothing to reduce. Oxford already had fewer serious casualties than its rural neighbours.

Driving at 20mph wastes fuel. The DfT says vehicles emit 30 per cent more CO2 and diesels emit 30 per cent more PM10 particulates at 20 than 30.

Driving at 20 mph also increases carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions. Widespread 20 mph limits can increase climate change and reduce public health.

Our county council has already wasted £300,000. Now James wants policing cuts and a blank cheque to make drivers waste fuel and pollute more.

HUGH JAEGER, Park Close, Oxford