Letter: Change in direction on road safety policy

Sir: Christian Wolmar seems to get lost on his 'long road to fewer deaths' (14 April). He forgets that members of the motoring organisations and their families also get killed on the roads. The Royal Automobile Club, and indeed the Automobile Association, is fully committed to improving road safety.

The policies that Mr Wolmar implies we would oppose include many for which we are the foremost advocates: the RAC is fundamentally committed to reducing dependence on the car and the provision of a real choice in the mode of transport; to high-quality traffic calming; to the use of speed cameras at accident blackspots and many other measures of which Mr Wolmar would probably approve. In addition,

we are working closely with the Royal Society for the Prevention

of Accidents in promotion of the new Highway Code and driver

education.

Mr Wolmar suggests a need for different traffic policies and then offers contradictory advice. He writes that we should discourage the construction of more out-of-town shopping centres and then advocates road pricing that would have the effect of driving more and more retail trade out of the city centres. Perhaps Mr Wolmar would like us to disinvent the wheel and all stay at home. The RAC would prefer to see a more realistic approach to reducing road casualties.

Yours faithfully,

EDMUND KING

Campaigns Manager

RAC

London, SW1