I'VE had the odd speeding fine myself so I sympathise with Mr Baddeley. But he is making himself ridiculous by appealing on such a silly technicality. He should grow up and pay up.

Underlying all this is our refusal to treat traffic crime as real crime. I wonder - if we had memorials to our fellow citizens who had died in traffic accidents along the lines of war memorials, would this serve as a reminder of all that tragedy? And might it also begin to change our outlook on speeding and other road traffic offences?

This would be greatly enhanced by proper policing on our roads, and politicians not just passing laws, but making the funds available for their enforcement. Perhaps this could be done by having a separate force of traffic police funded by a comprehensive network of cameras monitoring speed and use of mobile phones.

Meters could also catch the noise terrorists who use sound systems in their vehicles to bombard us with alleged 'music'. At the moment it's a complete joke and the chance of being stopped by the police or prosecuted is so small most of us go on breaking the law - and innocent people go on dying because we have a 'top gear' mentality to the road.

JIM EVANS, Worcester.