Common motoring myths

3:58pm Wednesday 22nd August 2001

Anyone who wants cyclists to pay road tax and be licensed should approach their MP about initiating Parliamentary legislation. We live in a democracy, and years of repeated complaints to local papers have rightly gotten nowhere.

With no real evidence, most drivers believe they are over-taxed, but the Institute for Transport Studies of Leeds has calculated motoring taxes only cover one third to half of the social costs.

I hope it is not suggested cyclists and taxpayers subsidise drivers even more than they do already. The idea cyclists often cause accidents is another common motoring myth.

Statistics show they are not involved at all in the vast majority of accidents and cause only a tiny minority.

They are far more likely than drivers to be killed or injured as innocent victims, when, of course, they can claim damages in the same way as everyone else.

John Norman

Inglewood Road

Barnehurst

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