We need an urgent review of signs policy

I am surprised that you say the Bolton Institute of Advanced Motorists, IAM group (of which I'm a member myself) are backing this man. I find this hard to believe as, if your article is correct, this local man has no excuse -- the signs are visible (just!) if you actively scan and read the road ahead, as the IAM advise.

I will assume he knows Chorley New Road well, and if he was a 'safe' driver he would not be travelling at 44mph anyway, which is far too high for the conditions at that particular Gatso camera, which has clear road markings, it is just after a dangerous junction, near houses and a pub.

Most speedos are set to give the driver a slightly higher posted speed than they are actually doing, which probably means Mr Short's speedo was probably reading more like 50mph.

With regard to speed limit signs. Being a professional driving instructor, I travel the borough daily and I have to say that we do suffer badly compared to other parts of the country, as many signs that have either migrated into the trees, are illegible, or even missing. The repeater signs on several key routes are almost non existent.

It seems to me our local council do not consider that signs posting speed limits as an important part in making our roads a safer place, and, sadly, their commitments to carry out inspections seems not to make a difference. We need the Council to sit down with people like myself and colleagues from IAM to set up a reporting procedure, so that things like this get sorted. Unfortunately, if the Council are as committed as they were when they promised to set up critical friends on road maintenance we're in for a long wait.

I feel the council is selling us short. The motorists and pedestrians of this town deserve to be protected from speeding motorists, and, as Roy Sammons points out in the article, many motorists do not know what the speed limit is for the road they're driving on. We need an urgent review of signage policy and I believe this is something that, if done correctly, it can be a key part of a positive road safety strategy for the town.

In my role at the Association of United Driving Instructors and as a working instructor, I hear about and witness many incidents where drivers intimidate learners and their instructors for merely driving at the posted speed limit. I know it can be frustrating to be behind a learner who isn't encouraged to get above a crawl, it is another, often frighteningly dangerous situation, to tailgate someone, flash lights, blast horns, rudely gesticulate, when you are merely keeping to the limit, which is not signposted anywhere! There are many occasions where our members are verbally abused by "experienced" motorists who seem to think many of our wider 30mph roads are actually a higher limit!

Come on Bolton Council get your finger out!

Steve Tonge ADI

(Secretary) Association

of United Driving Instructors

Matlock Close

Farnworth, Bolton