YOUR correspondent (‘Can cyclists show a little respect?') cites the behaviour of cyclists in an area where cycling is not allowed and is surprised that a large proportion of them are hostile and impolite when criticised.

They then imply that all cyclists are rude and lawless from this.

They have made a very fundamental statistical error.

They have taken a sample of law-breakers and extrapolated that this lawlessness stems from them sitting on a bike saddle.

While I have sat on some extremely uncomfortable saddles in my time, I don’t think this is a root cause of anti-social behaviour.

If someone breaks rules and doesn’t respect others, they will do so whether on foot, bike or driving a car.

I am sick of hearing how cyclists need to earn respect and have a bad reputation.

We have a motoring population of about 35 million, which every year results in over three million prosecutions for driving offences, which doesn’t even include the 12 million parking tickets.

That’s just the ones who are caught. Where is the bad reputation motoring has?

One only has to view the online responses to the article on the speed camera being burned to see that we are living in a society that values cars and speeding above safety, health, quality of life and the lives of children.

The Dutch had a campaign in the 1970s called Stop the Child Murder. We have yet to do that here. For God’s sake, why?

MIKE CHALKLEY, Cowper Road, Bournemouth