Indicators – the secret is out

Sir, – Sitting in a café today, I had the huge good fortune to overhear a Masonic-like conversation between two motor trade people and I feel obliged to share it with you in order to help improve the country’s average lifespan.

It seems that virtually all cars have what are known as "steering columns" and, attached to these are – sorry for all this oppressive engineer-speak – "indicator stalks". The driver, it seems, can activate these by a simple move of the hand and, mirabile dictu, various lights flash on the outside of the car to indicate (no more than that perhaps) what direction the car is about to take.

With visits to A&E units not being as much fun as previously, I (as a cyclist primarily but also as a pedestrian and motorist) would like to suggest that the approximately 30 per cent of drivers who are not familiar with this secret device should embrace it with enthusiasm, obviously after some rigorous fitness and familiarity training.

I expect that the only losers after the “Indicator Revolution” takes hold will be undertakers, accident investigators and the like. – Yours, etc,