AS I am a mobility scooter user myself, I felt that I must write with reference to your item about abusive drivers (July 23). I would like to inform Mrs Charter and anyone else who regularly rides a scooter on the road that I personally have always believ

AS I am a mobility scooter user myself, I felt that I must write with reference to your item about abusive drivers (July 23). I would like to inform Mrs Charter and anyone else who regularly rides a scooter on the road that I personally have always believed that it is a legal requirement to ride on the pavement and for my personal safety I have always done so.

In the item Mrs Charter told your reporter that she did not want to ride on the pavement, as she felt that it would cause obstructions to pedestrians. I know that the eight miles per hour at which the larger models of scooter like Mrs Charter's and my own are geared to run at, is about twice the normal able bodied walking speed. I know from personal experience that there will be times when one would have to slow down and ask to be excused before some pedestrians will let you past. However I would like to put it to Mrs Charter and anyone else who rides regularly on the road that this minor inconvenience is well worth putting up with. You are far less likely to be involved in an accident on the pavement than on the road and even if you were the much slower speed, would mean that any injuries and or damage would be far less serious. I have also found from personal experience that if you are crossing a road from one pavement to the other, drivers are far ore likely to give way to you than if you were on the road itself. I don't think that when riding on a busy road Mrs Charter realises that when the larger vehicles pull out to overtake her driver would lose sight of her because she would be below the height of his wing mirror. Also I don't think she realises just how long it would take for a motor vehicle to brake speed to stay behind her it is not safe to overtake and how far they would travel even on a dry road while doing so. If Mrs Charter or anyone else who rides regularly on the road would like to discuss any of the points I have raised lease tell them that they are free to contact me.

ALAN PARKER

Green How

St Ives