SIR, – A story reporting a recent fatal road accident raised an important issue of the type of vehicle involved. Larger, heavier vehicles provide better protection in the event of an accident, a well-established fact recognised by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme), which tests vehicles in separate classes. However, larger cars are often more powerful, which mitigates against the safety inherent in their size.
Unfortunately, young drivers have the highest risk of accident. Inexperience and risk-taking behaviour associated with youth are important contributory factors. While all measures to improve driving skills are valuable, these factors remain and young drivers will always be the most vulnerable.
Sadly, motoring costs of vehicle, insurance and road licence force the most vulnerable drivers into vehicles providing the least protection. Better protection saves lives, as demonstrated by seatbelts and airbags. So why not protect young drivers and their passengers by putting them in large, slow cars? An initiative to produce slow, low-powered versions of larger cars and supportive insurance premiums might well save young drivers’ lives.
Environmentally-driven changes to vehicle licence duty effectively puts a tax on safety and more people will drive smaller vehicles. This may slow down the gradual reduction in road accident fatalities. Lower emissions and greater safety are both possible with slower, larger vehicles.
Stephen Watt,
Quartains, Drumoak.
SIR, – I wish to correct inaccuracies in your story (July 10) headed “Wildlife park’s founder condemns policy”.
It was said that two giant pandas were set to join the animal collection at Highland Wildlife Park. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which owns Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo, is working with officials in China to bring pandas to Scotland, but this, and where they will be located, has not been finalised.
It was stated that Siberian tigers were “recent additions”, when the park does not yet have Siberian tigers.
Eddie Orbell’s claim that no European zoo has been able to keep giant pandas alive is wrong. There are giant pandas being cared for in Berlin, Madrid and Vienna. They have been there for a number of years and some have reproduced and successfully reared panda cubs. These cubs will return to China when they are old enough, to take part in reintroduction programmes to boost the number of giant pandas in the wild.
I have great respect for Eddie Orbell, founder of the Highland Wildlife Park. During his time at the park, he had a fantastic and varied animal collection, including not only native species but other rare non-native species such as Saiga antelope, ibex and chamois.
By taking part in breeding programmes for animals from across the world, the Highland Wildlife Park will be contributing to conserving the future of endangered species.
Iain Valentine,
head of animals, conservation and education for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,
Edinburgh Zoo.
SIR, – I refer to your story (July 16) headed “Nightclub owners hit out at curfew”. I was astounded at licensee Mike Wilson's comment that “a curfew implies that Aberdeen has a severe problem with its conduct”. The problem is blatantly obvious for all to see, except to those who have a vested interest in personal gain, at the expense of quality of life in the city.
Union Street and its environs can best be described as a cross between a zoo and a wild west frontier town, on most nights of the week. The police would appear to have given up trying to patrol the street, instead retreating to the safety of their CCTV monitoring bunker or passing patrol cars – and who can blame them?
It is the club owners who, through irresponsible booze promotions and a willingness to continue supplying intoxicated customers with drink, have created the present situation, in which an ever-increasing number of citizens and visitors no longer consider it pleasurable or, indeed, safe to venture on foot into town later in the evening.
So, full marks to the licensing board for finally awakening to the fact that, yes, Aberdeen does have a problem. If the proposals mean that the bedlam, violence and antisocial behaviour are curtailed so it becomes a pleasure again for the majority to frequent the town centre of an evening, then their actions will have been vindicated.
Should, as a consequence of this, a few “entrepreneurs” be forced to close their businesses, then that must be a price well worth paying for the greater good.
E. Reid,
Fountainhall Road,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – Like a good many folk, I have been following the developments regarding the proposed post office closures in Aberdeen.
You published a story (July 5) about a meeting to oppose the closures and how MP Anne Begg, among others, was fighting to keep the Mannofield branch open.
This was followed up with a further piece (July 9) pointing out that MP Frank Doran, among others, was also fighting and pleading to keep the Mount Street branch open.
This all seems fair enough, but you have to remember that the Post Office is closing branches basically at the behest of the Labour government at Westminster, so you would naturally expect SNP, Lib Dem and Conservative MPs to oppose the closures, but not Labour ones.
I looked into this and there was a motion put forward by the Conservatives on March 19 to suspend the closures until the whole proposal had been reassessed. All the Conservative, Lib Dem and SNP MPs, and to be fair some Labour ones, supported the motion, but Frank Doran and Anne Begg voted against it and allowed the closures to continue.
Scott Milne,
91 Queens Road,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – I am pleased to hear that Roddy Balfour might stand for the post of provost of Inverness. Roddy is the most suitable councillor for the job.
I suggested this to him some weeks ago. His reply was: “I am too busy looking after my constituents to be provost."
If more councillors gave the same consideration to their constituents as Roddy, instead of playing at junior politics, we might have a council that is there for the voters, not some daft political agenda.
David McGrath,
151 Galloway Drive,
Culloden,
Inverness.