RALLY DRIVING
S1R,—May 1, as a navigator in many rallies and the organiser of not a few, usher in some amend- ments to the round condemnation, by your motoring correspondent Mr. Gavin Lyall, of these events?
Drivers who, 'every year and sometimes several times during it, spin, roll, collide or otherwise drive to destruction quite ordinary cars . . '? I know very many regular rally competitors. They are almost without exception quiet, considerate, unspec- tacular drivers, many with family responsibilities, and most would rather come last in a rally than take any risk to life or property. I would sooner be driven anywhere by almost any one of them than by almost anyone else, and I frighten easily.
Far from their being anti-rallying, the only ground on which I know policemen, on duty or off, is by meeting those who either compete in rallies or help to organise them themselves, or else in the course of their duty make helpful suggestions for avoiding public inconvenience in the route and timing used. There was some trouble in thickly populated parts of England a few years ago, but increased care on the part of organisers has largely obviated this.
I hold no brief for certain continental events where damaged cars are allowed to proceed. The RAC regulations ensure that it doesn't happen here. And Mr. Lyall must surely know that in the millions of miles covered by entrants in rallies in Great Britain since the war there has not been one single fatal accident? He might like to offer a comparison with the records of other classes of road-user.
Do not, however, sir, shoot Mr.' Lyall. He is the only motoring correspondent of any non- motoring publication who is other than sycophantic to the British motor industry. This is quite some- thing.—Yours faithfully,
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