Against Mud-Flaps

Sir,

Oh, no! Please do not advocate a British repetition of the silly Danish mud-flap-flop of the middle ‘sixties. The Danish government got exactly the same idea as your correspondent Mr. Peter Gibson (MOTOR SPORT, Nov., 1974) about the benevolent effects of mud-flaps and promptly made the fitting of them compulsory on all motor vehicles. After a while it was obvious to everyone that only the manufacturers of mud-flaps derived any benefit from this hasty decision. On a vehicle rolling on a wet road their main effect was to turn the spray into a muddy mist which left a filthy coat of mud on everything on or near the road. Consequently, the ruling was reversed—and do not mention mud-flaps to a Dane!

Humlebæk, Denmark NIELS JONASSEN