Sir,

Thank you for leading the campaign against “The Police State” through your excellent and outspoken journal.

May I, at this time of “Goodwill toward men” however, bring to your attention the help available to motorists in this area from the Plymouth City Police.

They have, for some time, held courses of Advanced Driving lectures, one series of which I recently had the pleasure of attending. The object of the courses is, in their own words, “To pass on to the public the benefit of the knowledge gleaned at the Police Driving School, in the hope of raising standards of driving and lowering the accident rate in the area.”

With the assistance of film and diagrams the instruction was both interesting and comprehensive. Each course is “rounded off” with a courtesy ride in a patrol car where each feature covered by the lecture is demonstrated. Considerable time is allowed for questions and each of these was answered with logic and an understanding of the motorist’s point of view. We were encouraged to seek advice on driving at any time by calling in at Police Headquarters, and to bring to their attention anything we see in the area that could be considered a hazard (not other drivers!).

The whole atmosphere underlying the courses is one of co-operation and I am suit that other “students” like myself, now feel that the police are “on our side”—in Plymouth at least!

Referring to “speeding,” the instructor stated, quite rightly, that if their system of driving is adopted, one need never be caught! They don’t use radar.

What a pleasant 1965 we could have if other police forces were to adopt the “Plymouth Attitude” as a revolution!

K. M. Beardow – Yelverton.