Letter: Forced off the road

Sir: In using phrases such as "boy racer" and "obscenely overpowered cars" Richard Evans (letter, 6 October) is guilty of a knee-jerk reaction to the tragic death of two elderly sisters. He suggests that such powerful cars should be banned from the roads, but almost every new car currently sold is capable of breaking the national speed limit . A Mini driven in the same way would still have killed the two ladies.

As we have seen with the widespread introduction of speed cameras, speed limits are an easy target. The real problem is deteriorating driving standards. Entering a roundabout is a dice with death, as nobody indicates on or off any more; middle-lane crawlers are reducing our three-lane motorways to two, and overtaking is a lost art.

The current driving test is too easy and is seen as a hurdle that, once cleared, allows one into a lifetime of unfettered driving freedom. We need to start retesting drivers every five years. Of course, a number of poor drivers would be forced off the roads, but that should please Mr Prescott, and if a number of the losers were MPs perhaps they would realise why most people prefer their cars to public transport.

PHIL SPARKS

London SW19