Sir, – Rita Moore (Letters, July 8th) is right to condemn the irresponsible and stupid behaviour of a mobile phone-using cyclist. Though I'm a fairly regular cyclist, it's something I rarely see, but I frequently encounter motorists doing so. Here in Britain the Department of Transport has reported that drivers using mobile phones were responsible for 33 deaths in 2017, and 32 the year before. No deaths were attributed to cyclists using phones.
The figures speak for themselves, but let’s not forget that a bad cyclist is probably a bad motorist also, and vice versa. It’s the irresponsible behaviour that is the problem, not the mode of transport. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN BOYLE,
London.
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Sir, – One can only agree with Rita Moore that the behaviour of the cyclist in question was sheer stupidity and could well have endangered his life as well as other road users. However, she makes no comment on the much greater danger to all road users posed by the drivers of motorised vehicles who use mobile phones while driving, a practice which I witness on a daily basis from the saddle of my bicycle. – Yours, etc,
MAIRÉAD FORSYTHE,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.