WITH the UK reported as “a land of killer potholes”, Sunday Breakfast News invited a member of the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) to give his take on the problem. He claimed to be both cyclist and driver.Collectively, potholes measure 295 square miles: for cyclists with lightweight bikes and narrow tyres, it’s a far bigger area — even cracks that drivers (especially distracted ones) can’t see/feel, can result in cyclist fatalities.

A new government road safety campaign — Think Cyclist — advises drivers: “Remember that cyclists may need to manoeuvre suddenly if the road is poor, it’s windy or if a car door is opened. Ninety two per cent of cycling casualties involve another vehicle.”

Police records show that more than 90 per cent of cyclist casualties are due to driver error. In 2012, cycling fatalities increased by 10 per cent on the previous year. Anything to do with potholes and mobile phones? How many drivers realise that cyclists have to take extra care with puddles for chance it’s a pothole that could upend them?

With potholed roads, (especially wet ones), aren’t maximum speed limits wholly inappropriate? The ABD doesn’t approve of speed cameras: “82 per cent of drivers thought they were driving safely at the time of there conviction”.

They don’t approve of speed limits either: “The normally careful and competent actions of a reasonable individual should be considered legal”. How many drivers think drink-driving and mobile phone use while driving is normal?

How do these see potholes and allow for cyclists to “manoeuvre suddenly”?

With limited resources, how can the police watch over 30 million drivers, and, indeed, 14 million cyclists? Aren’t large numbers desperate to save “precious milliseconds”, and often take risks/intimidate to do so?

Clearly, with potholes, cyclists, speeding drivers and mobile phones, we’re a long, long way from finding an answer for road deaths. Along with millions of others, I’m both cyclist and driver, but not a member of the ABD.

Allan Ramsay Radcliffe Moor Road Radcliffe