Jeremy Clarkson is spot on in all his observations regarding the “system”, whether it is the socialist greeny nutters or the anti-car Luddite tendency. Really, he’s wasted as just a writer: perhaps he should consider an entry into politics.
This is a letter of support for Jeremy. I’ve read enough anti-Clarkson stuff and thought it’s about time that those of us who agree with him actually said so.
Nick Chalk
Buckfastleigh, Devon
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FACTORY FACTS
In the rundown on the UK automotive industry (The Knowledge, January 8) no mention was made of the Vauxhall, Ellesmere Port plant, established in 1962, where the Astra model is produced. This factory reached record production volumes in 2005, building 188,764 vehicles.
Mark Davies
Runcorn, Cheshire
PATIENT CARE
Poor Gary Salmon (Letters, December 11) and the countless other drivers too afraid to move out of the outside lane on motorways in case no one will let them back in again. In my experience, with just a little patience and good signalling there is never any problem in getting back into the overtaking lanes.
Mr Salmon et al’s behaviour still does not account for why, even when motorways are almost deserted in the middle of the night, there are still drivers who insist on not moving from the middle lane.
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Jonathan Makepeace
Gillingham, Kent
PREMIUM PROOF
Add up the figures quoted in Up to Speed on January 8 and we get that nearly half of male drivers have little faith or “no trust” in their wife’s or girlfriend’s driving ability.
Yet insurance premiums show women are actually better drivers than men. Is this because women are more intelligent?
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Norman T Shepherd
Bristol
MINI BLONDES
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Has anyone else noticed that BMW Mini drivers always seem to be females in their twenties with long blonde hair, or is this a phenomenon peculiar to Ireland only? As a non-glamorous female in my thirties and the driver of a classic (otherwise known as a real) Mini, I’d love to know if it is the case in Britain too.
Niamh Coughlan
Donegal, Ireland
LEFT IN THE COLD
Surely, in this age of power steering, electric windows, heated seats, satellite navigation, electric handbrakes and self-parking systems, some consideration must have gone into attempting to solve the problem of iced-up windscreens.
There we are, first thing on a cold, frosty morning, scraping ice off the windscreen and waiting for the engine to warm sufficiently for the blower to clear the inside of the glass.
We’ve had rear screen demisters for decades now, so why is it that, after all this time, only Ford, with its “quick clear” windscreens, has managed to solve the problem? Surely other manufacturers could have produced something similar for the everyday motorist.
Martin Andrews
New Malden, Surrey
SATELLITE SNAG
I would not recommend John and Helen Taylor (One thimbleful of petrol or two, dear?, last week) rely on GPS tracking to measure the distance of their 18,000-mile drive. My experience of using a GPS receiver for walking has proved it to be very inaccurate when travelling in hilly country. The receiver measures distances along a base line and doesn’t take into account the extra distance of travelling up and down.
Don Draper
Y Felinheli, Gwynedd
CLOSE CALL
Test cricketer Kevin Pietersen (Hey, I just like to bowl along, last week) was quoted as follows: “I set the cruise control to 80mph and I set the space to be three cars between me and the one in front. Now this car will not let me go less than three car lengths close.”
Now that is close. I think you should point out that at the 70mph speed limit the typical stopping distance shown in the Highway Code is 24 car lengths. It would be irresponsible to follow another car at 80mph only three cars’ lengths behind.
Mark Burton
Ware, Hertfordshire
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