ROY Harvey claims (‘Motorists need to improve abilities’, Letters March 25) that “drivers forced to drive at minus 40mph will lose concentration and in so doing lose what little skill they have. The result will be greater danger for pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers”.

There is abundant evidence to suggest that the gap between the speed limit and actual speed suitable for the conditions of many of our rural roads could encourage drivers to take risks which lead to death and serious injury. The 60mph national speed limit gives the wrong message to drivers about safe speeds on the majority of our single carriageways.

The Department of Transport said as long ago as 2006 that 26 per cent of fatal crashes on rural roads were attributed to speeding or driving too fast for the conditions within the speed limit. Yet, since then, thousands of people have died and nothing has materialised.

Each rural road should be evaluated for a safe speed because the speed limit would be a good indicator for the nature and risks posed by that road to motorists and non-motorised road users.

Speed limits would then be evidence led, self explaining and seek to reinforce to drivers an assessment of what is a safe speed to travel.

MIKE FRY, Moorland Crescent, Upton