Cyclists and drivers can share the road nicely
SIR – Several of last week’s letters criticised cyclists.
It is true that they do not pay road tax, but nor do motorists. The latter pay tax for the pollution they create, along with a contribution towards repairing the potholes they cause.
An impatient motorist driving a ton of metal at 30mph and passing too close to an unprotected cyclist is dangerously intimidating, whether the bike has a bell or not.
We are all road users, and no group should demand special rights. John Bird
Milland, West Sussex
SIR – The Highway Code gives guidance to motorists regarding overtaking cyclists: they should leave at least as much room as they would when overtaking a car – in other words, overtake on the other side of the road. It also recommends that cyclists should ride well clear of the curb, precisely so they can avoid hitting potholes, drains and debris, and so becoming a hazard to other road users. There is no reason why cyclists cannot ride in the middle of their lane or ride two abreast. Brian Guest
Christchurch, Dorset
SIR – The need for cyclists to have a licence and carry ID was driven home a few weeks ago when a cyclist deliberately ran me and my dog off our small road, shouting that I was in his space.
The result: a dog with broken cruciate ligament in her back leg and a very large vet bill. Yet I had no way of identifying the cyclist. Ronald Davison
Cowlinge, Suffolk