SIR: Why settle for 20mph in the city streets why not go the whole hog and fetch back men with red flags.

The 30mph limit was introduced before the war when drivers had the roads to themselves; they had cumbersome vehicles with heavy steering, poor brakes and design features such as mascots capable of decapitating or impaling pedestrians at relatively low speeds. Since then safety features on cars have greatly improved and many of them are aimed at pedestrians, it is no coincidence that the fronts of all cars are rounded with no sharp edges. They have power steering and servo brakes so consequently motor cars themselves no longer present the danger to pedestrians they once did.

Speed should relate to the traffic, weather and road conditions existing at the time; even 20mph could be dangerous under certain conditions. When you drive your attention should be constantly on the other idiots using the road including cyclists indifferent to the Highway Code, pedestrians oblivious to their surroundings whilst plugged into mobile phones and the numerous traffic signs which have to complied with; not constantly checking whether or not you are exceeding a ridiculously low speed limit. Twenty miles per hour would mean paying much more attention to the speedometer and far less on the road where it is needed; using second gear would help but this results in far more engine wear and pollution.

On top of this who is going to pay for the legal issues of getting parliamentary consent, the hundreds of extra 30 and 20 signs and the policing of the restriction. Why waste money when most of Winchester streets are so old and narrow they police themselves; excessive speed is nigh on impossible.

We do not need further speed restrictions, awareness of danger and the consideration of other road users is far more relevant and that is down to the education of people of all ages. More importantly they would dilute the importance of existing lower speed limits outside schools.

Roger Malyn,

Goring Field,

Winchester