Letter: Cut road speed limit

Sir: The European Commission's proposal to require all new vehicles to be fitted with a device warning drivers when legal pollution limits are being exceeded (20 June) seems an expensive way of achieving its objective, now that emissions are checked in the annual MOT test.

A cheaper reform bringing much wider benefits would be to rule that all new vehicles be fitted with a variable speed limiter. Our recently published report, Speed Control and Transport Policy, shows that, especially if combined with the adoption of lower speed limits, this would not only lead to reduced fuel consumption and with it, less pollution, but would also result in much safer roads.

Dr MAYER HILLMAN

STEPHEN PLOWDEN

Policy Studies Institute

London NW1