Overlooked? A 10% tolerance on the 70-limit

Sir,
Might I point out through your correspondence columns that it is very unlikely that Motorists would be convicted of exceeding the 70-m.p.h. limit unless their true speed was in excess of 77 m.p.h., as a 10% speedometer error is allowed by law. In most of the cars built today the reading on the Speedometer would he approximately 85m.p.h at this speed as a 10% error the other way (fast) is insisted on by most car manufacturers. (Incidentally the 70-m.p.h. limit does not affect me as I drive a light van limited to 40 m.p.h., by an extension of the window tax, although the estate-car version, identical mechanically in all respects, is restricted only to 70 m.p.h., almost its top speed.)

I am hoping that the new limit will be removed as quickly as possible, as I am hoping to acquire a saloon car easily capable of exceeding 77 m.p.h. in the near future, although several years of “van” motoring has helped me to acquire most acute rearward vision!

Melksham. R.T. Torrance.