Madam, - Kevin Myers is dead right to say this is a hauliers' paradise (An Irishman's Diary, November 17th). His comments refer to Dublin, but I can assure him that the rural situation is just as dangerous if not worse.
Driving nowadays is a truly hazardous occupation due mainly to the uncaring driving of haulage vehicles, tractors and mile-long transporters of many types. He should have called them mobile, lethal vehicles of mass destruction.
Is the time approaching when pedestrians will be required to wear protective anti-vehicle clothing when outdoors and family car drivers will travel only in armoured vehicles? No wonder off-roaders and SUVs are becoming the preferred cars of today. - Yours, etc.,
NED CUSACK, Gortahalla, Moycullen, Co Galway.
Madam, - I have no connection whatever with the road haulage industry, but An Irishman's Diary of November 17th goes too far, even for Mr Myers. He takes a recent inquest into an accident at Carrigaline, in which a young au pair died, and uses it to attack lorries and lorry-drivers.
Over more than 30 years driving cars and riding motor cycles I have been most impressed by the effortless skills displayed by the drivers of articulated lorries in particular. Their mirror work is superb, they do not wilfully hold up other traffic and any courtesy extended to them is acknowledged nine times out of 10 with a flash of the headlights or a wave.
When on two wheels and approaching roundabouts in the rain, where the road surface can be very treacherous indeed, I have on countless occasions been conscious of a following lorry dropping back to give me more space.
With regard to accidents involving left-turning lorries at the Aston Quay/O'Connell Bridge junction, perhaps the person who decided that it was a good idea to bring the footpath out towards the middle of the road bears some responsibility.
If lorries are overloaded, penalise the owner, not the driver. A driver who constantly objects to the size and weight of his or her load won't find much lorry-driving work, I imagine. - Yours, etc.,
JACK HOEY, Cornamunady, Monaghan, Co Monaghan.