AS a fellow biker I agreed with Diane Holt when she said there is some resentment from other drivers if a bike passes or overtakes stationary or moving traffic (July 12).

Everyone would benefit from taking a compulsory basic test course (including car/lorry/bus drivers) as it does make you more aware and safety conscious. This must be a good thing!

No matter how aware you are as a biker, you have to anticipate road user's moves far more than when you're in a car. The old saying "sorry mate, I didn't see you" to me implies regular eye testing for all drivers/road users should be mandatory, as should revised car tests, although I guess this would be near impossible to enforce with the amount of drivers on the road today.

It's not all bikers that obey the rules though and we have this minority to thank for police clamping down on bike meetings and great biking roads, as there is a time and place for everything.

Going 60mph plus through a village is very stupid. Children, stray dogs all running out into the road would stand no chance if hit by a bike and I would think the rider of said bike wouldn't fare too well either.

I ride fast, but safety and road courtesy are my first priority. I too am a car driver and create if a biker cuts me up or does something dangerous in front of me. So it works both ways because I have had bad experiences on my bike.

Anticipate what the other person is going to do, act and act accordingly.

Bikers have a lot less protection so other road users must be more aware.

Mrs Y A Barker,

Chestnut Croft, Selby.

...BEING a motorcyclist's pillion passenger on many occasions, I have witnessed many car drivers' ignorance of motorcycles.

We are always accused of going too fast, racing, not looking where we are going, etc.. but the truth of the matter is that car drivers need educating as to where they are going wrong. They pull out of junctions in front of us having clearly seen us, they pull out to overtake while we are actually overtaking them, clearly not using their mirrors, they feel intimidated because we can jump traffic queues when they are moving at a much slower speed, they even try to run us off the road.

We have been tailgated ourselves by car drivers wanting to race us. We have even been knocked off our motorcycle by a driver and he left us lying in the grass at the side of the road.

We are aware that there are idiots on bikes, they give the rest of us a bad name, but I can assure you they are in the minority.

The death of anyone is upsetting, but totally devastating when it's through ignorance and the inability to use your mirrors.

Mrs Sandra Barker,

Thirlmere Close,

Carlton Miniott, Thirsk.

Updated: 10:36 Tuesday, July 30, 2002