IT’S a good thing that the money-making speed cameras have been switched off.

Now drivers can focus their concentration on the road in front of them instead of having to look about for cameras or taking their eyes off the road to keep checking if their speed is right.

This was always dangerous. If, for instance, you were passing an ice-cream van as you checked your speed and a child stepped out, the chances are you would hit that child. If you don’t have to check your speed then all your concentration is focused on the road ahead and there would be a good chance that you would miss the child.

In a case like this, if you hit a child, you would most likely get done for driving without due care and attention. However, you can’t be attentive if you’re having to drive while looking here, there and everywhere.

A driver has to be able to have 100 per cent concentration on his or her driving, and the cameras took a lot of that away.

We will always have do-gooders who want to keep the cameras, but then they probably only ever drive at 30mph wherever they go.

There should, instead, be more zebra crossings in built-up areas and people should be encouraged to use them. They work well enough in America, where if you cross the road anywhere but a proper crossing you are liable to be prosecuted for jay walking.

This seems to be a simple solution. You can then fine pedestrians and leave the poor drivers alone. They have already taken far too much grief from authority.

P HOWARD

Brome Place

Headington

Oxford