Selfish drivers

SIR – As a keen cyclist I agree with Julia Townsend-rose (Letters, November 18), and am amazed when fellow cyclists don’t make even minimal efforts to be visible to other road users.

However, the flip-side of this is drivers who do not pay attention to other road users. When commuting by bike I have two front and two rear lights (one solid, one flashing), plus a helmet light for winter. I have a bright yellow helmet, a bright orange bike, a hi-vis vest and a fully retroreflective backpack. Yet on many commutes I’ll need to take evasive action at a junction due to not being seen – or simply being ignored – by a driver. This usually results in an embarrassed look or apologetic wave, although sometimes an aggressive gesture or worse.

As a confident cyclist I am comfortable assessing the movements of vehicles and taking action as necessary, but I can see why unconfident cyclists believe the roads are too dangerous to ride on. Russell Grimshaw

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire