How to cut the road toll

It's time we stopped making excuses for the appalling deaths on our roads. It's not because of bad weather, bad roads, old cars, "bloody tourists" or the Covid vaccine turning drivers blind. If we drove well, the previous factors would be taken care of, but instead we choose to drive badly. (Not you and me, of course; our driving is exemplary. It's the other couple of million who are the problem.)

- PAUL CATMUR

This attitude is demonstrated by a recent online exchange I saw where an individual announced that it was fine for drivers like him to tailgate others because of their "superior driving ability". Maybe if Sir Lewis Hamilton had moved to Warkworth and changed his name to Brent, there would be some truth in this, but it seems unlikely.

It appears most drivers are concerned their indicator switch might be coated with Polonium-210, so keep well away. Only with the greatest reluctance will they move their finger to let the rest of the world in on their secret intentions.

To say "there's no need to indicate because there's no one else around" is just creating work as it requires the driver to check that the coast is clear before deciding not to indicate. Like wearing clothes to go to work, or opening your mouth to insert food, using the indicator shouldn't require a prior internal debate. Just do it.