Sir – I am astonished that Chris Minchin considers English drivers to be the worst in Europe (Letters, May 13).

I have also driven in many European countries and my conclusions are completely the reverse of his.

The Italians are undoubtedly the worst (there are on average 60 serious accidents per day in Rome alone!), the French and Spanish little better and so on down the list.

Statistics consistently show the UK to be among the countries with the lowest accident rates.

There are exceptions of course, but in my experience British drivers are generally considerate, for example allowing other drivers to pass with a wave or a flash of the headlights (in France they flash their lights to say ‘Stay back — I’m coming through!’).

True, there are some idiots on the motorways, but in the main our motorists are careful and considerate.

There is always room for improvement, but I feel we have a reputation to be proud of. My Turkish sister-in-law says driving in England is heaven compared with her own country!

Lee Graham (Dr), Oxford