Speed and safety

Sir,

Mr Lyon and Mr Goodman have risen to the bait contained in our March editorial. I can see nothing therein which detracts from the well-known fact that speed, properly used, is not necessarily dangerous. It is hysterical views about ordinary driving that may well give the DoT pause, were higher motorway speed-limits to be contemplated. That is why I criticised some of Mr Lyon’s views.

Does he really believe that modern cars need checking over daily, as for an MoT test, before starting a 200-mile run? His reference to blood sugar levels is beyond me-I just wonder why, after regularly driving nearly 400 miles in a day as well as spending some time in the office, at over 70 years of age , going as fast as my capabilities allow, which involves overtaking one or two other vehicles, a recent blood-test gave me a clean bill of health . . .

Mr Lyon was writing of ordinary driving, not racing, being troubled about loss of control while sounding the horn, which few racing cars would have, outside races like the late lamented Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. So Mr Goodman’s comments about Mansell at Adelaide and his Prescott hillclimb pupils, whom he advises to keep both hands on the wheel whenever possible, scarcely apply, although F1 drivers change gear quite frequently and adjust boost valves; I find myself wondering whether Mr Goodman prefers his pupils to use automatic gearboxes?

William Boddy, Editor, Motor Sport