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Left Members’ views on zip merging continue to spark debate. There is a consensus that all motorists should use common sense.
ILLUSTRATION: ROUGHCOLLIE
IN BRIEF International zipping
“I AGREE THAT IT’S DESIRABLE TO REDUCE CONFLICT BETWEEN MOTORISTS AND CYCLISTS, BUT TRAFFIC PATROL OFFICERS ARE ALL BUT EXTINCT NOW” I agree that it’s desirable to reduce conflict between motorists and cyclists, but there’s precious little education going on. I don’t know how long ago Mr Dunn was a traffic patrol officer, but that species is now all but extinct. They appear in order to sweep up after accidents, then keep major routes closed for hours while they look at the ‘crime scene’, but in the ordinary course of events they are all but invisible. Thus it is that many motorists get away with appalling driving and, with or without the ample legislation which Mr Dunn says is in place, the prospect of careless or dangerous cycle use being prosecuted is vanishingly small. That is why so many motorists have a poor attitude to cyclists and many cyclists play fast and loose with road law. Richard Elliott
Cycling co-operation needed Michael Dunn’s letter in the Summer edition deserves further comment. This part of Dorset is at times overrun by the ‘Lycra brigade’ who use the roads to Wareham and Corfe. There are cycle paths alongside the road, but they still insist on using the roads and hold up the traffic by often riding two or three abreast. The attitude of the local constabulary is that the motorist is guilty whatever. Yet the rules in the Highway Code (59 to 82) are clear that on narrow roads or in heavy traffic cyclists should
In Germany in the mid-1980s, there was a regular five-minute programme on German TV giving driving hints. I remember them advising using zip merging for the reasons given in RoadSmart. That said, the different national traits may be why it works there but is unlikely to here, as our propensity for forming a queue will outweigh good driving sense! Tony Moore
Power plans needed I’ll only believe the plan to ban the sale of new internal combustion vehicles by 2030 is feasible when I hear we’re building power stations to meet demand. And for those who enjoy driving abroad, what about the availability of infrastructure overseas? Geoffrey Curtis
IAMRoadSmart
be in single file. They should be as considerate a road user as the motorist. Our local MP pushed hard for the provision of cycle paths. Sadly, most of the cycle brigade just ignore them, even though they’re for their safety. Frankly, any cyclist choosing not to use them is not only inconsiderate to other road users, but in the event of a regrettable accident, has in part contributed to their misfortune. I’ve discussed this with our local police force, and sadly it seems they can only think one way: the motorist is always wrong. I should add that like Michael Dunn, I am a cyclist as well as a driver. And yes, as Advanced motorists, my wife and I give cyclists plenty of room before overtaking them, as well as a wide berth. The police and local authorities should be working with the cycling associations as well as IAM RoadSmart so all aspects of road use are covered. Nigel Griffiths FRICS
Steaming into the future I read the letter from Clyde Brown (RoadSmart, Summer 2021) with interest, as he highlights some of the weaknesses of electric vehicles. He asks are there alternatives, and the answer is yes. One is a return to steam propulsion, which has all the advantages of electric vehicles and none of the disadvantages: maximum power and torque at standstill, the absence of a gearbox – except for forward and reverse – and zero emissions. If this sounds like a fanciful idea, a modern unit would have a sealed system, so that as the steam has been used, it is recycled, and therefore there would not be an exhaust. At the dawn of motoring, steam vehicles outperformed petrol engines on every parameter. On the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, just when you think you’re going really well, a steam car is likely to come whizzing past, almost silently! Had we not been railroaded down the petrol and diesel route, and developed the steam option, we would not be in the position we are facing today. Douglas Wragg / AUTUMN/WINTER 2021 / 63