Sir, I read with interest Carol Coulter's article (August 29th) on "Hitting killer drivers where it most hurts". While I share some of her sentiments on the subject, I feel I must contradict her statistical assertions.
She said it was hardly surprising that men and in particular young men, outnumber women by three to one in the car accident statistics". I would maintain that this is hardly surprising, since men outnumber women by about three to one in the number of miles driven on the road.
It is not logical to conclude a generalisation on the basis that any moderately observant driver can see why". I am a young male driver, who experiences the same ignorance on the road as Ms Coulter has done from both crazy male and female drivers.
She made some excellent points with regard to the car as a lethal weapon. Not everyone is suited to or capable of driving, but everyone wants to, and we structure society so that even the least capable drivers are set loose on our roads. Entitlement to drive is a privilege and a skill, not a right.
It is false to assert that you do not need a qualified driver for your third and subsequent provisional licenses. It is only on the second license that an exemption is granted. A problem could be said to lie in the lack of enforcement of this law.
Unfortunately, misinterpretation of statistics and inaccuracies have only served to detract from what could have been an excellent article. Yours etc., Clybaun Heights, Galway.
Carol Coulter writes I am not alone in the view that young male drivers represent a particular hazard on the road. It is also the view of the insurance industry, presumably backed up by actuarial evidence.