After having spent 25 years as a traffic patrol officer, Roger Brown (Letters, November 25) ought to know better.

That well-worn phrase "speed kills" is true but has never nor will ever tackle the problem of road accidents.

The phrase is true because if there is no speed, the vehicle is stationary. However, it totally misses the point because every accident is caused by someone misjudging a situation.

Speed limits are a generalisation and can never be a substitute for a driver's alertness and awareness of road conditions.

We are forever hearing so-called experts pontificating about keeping to speed limits but they never bother to tell you people are injured and killed by bad driving, ignorance of the Highway Code, selfishness, careless and reckless manoeuvres with scant regard for other road users, failure to signal intentions and to use mirrors - the list is virtually endless.

It is very convenient to put it all down to speed. Many fatal accidents happen when the speed limit is being observed by the culprit, too.

The unfortunate inference given by experts is if you keep to the speed limit you can do no wrong.

Let us have a campaign for informing and educating drivers on all aspects of safety - or is that too much trouble?

-John Wakefield, Hayling Gardens, High Salvington, Worthing