THE comments by Hyndburn councillors frustrated at people who criticise their traffic calming schemes (LET, July 10), are pathetic.

While 'New Labour' is talking, quite rightly, about the virtues of education, they, the dinosaurs of Hyndburn Council, act in an opposing way.

All they are able to do in relation to road safety is to build nothing more than a traffic queueing system where drivers are not allowed to think. Brilliant! They then have the audacity to throw insults at anyone who dares to challenge their dictatorial attitudes.

I have spent the last 10 years of my career as a police driving instructor and the past seven doing the same kind of thing for private business. I think, therefore, I am entitled to criticise the council's inept mentality for bringing in measures that:

Do nothing to address the fundamental cause of bad driving - bad driver attitudes. (The idiots are still out there - it's just that they now have less room to be idiots!)

Increase the number of road traffic accidents

Increase air pollution

Increase noise pollution

Cause council officers to behave hypocritically (as with the council metal posts and ban on traders' 'A boards' on footpaths)

Put cyclists at risk through incomplete and potentially dangerous cycle paths

Delay the fire brigade, police and paramedics' response times

Bring the law into disrepute by having the police discriminate when reporting certain motorists when they don't go around a mini roundabout.

I invite all Hyndburn councillors and officers to contact me for a one-day driver awareness course.

ADRIAN SHURMER (Driver awareness consultant), Lyndon Avenue, Great Harwood.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.