The discovery of the issue by the Australian Medical Association's ACT branch ("Review on P-plates", January8, p.1) is welcome.

However, while a nationally uniform approach to young driver education and regulation seems attractive, there are strong countervailing arguments.

Jurisdictions can change their laws much more quickly if they don't have to wait for a bureaucratic and political consensus to emerge.

Driver education and regulation is also a field where jurisdictions can learn from the others' experiences, provided that policy-makers bring an open mind to the process.

It is a pity another story in Monday's paper, about the horrific injuries sustained by Canberra BMX champion Caroline Buchanan when an off-road vehicle rolled on her, has been ignored in the recent debate sparked by the holiday road toll.

Farm "accidents" involving quad bikes get only a tiny fraction of the attention that the road toll does. This is despite the fact that all the expert advice is that quad bikes are completely unsafe.

Moreover, because they are used on private land, there are no rider education requirements or restrictions covering the age you have to be to ride them.

As a result, from time to time there are reports of children as young as 7 or 8 being killed when quad bikes roll on them.

The Australian government, if it was serious, could easily ban their importation into Australia.

Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan East, NSW

While the ACT's P-plate laws might well need bringing into line with those in other states as some have said, let us hope we will be spared P-platers being restricted to 90km/h orless.

Apart from the additional congestion slow vehicles cause, traffic is safest if everyone is travelling at roughly the same speed: large speed differentials are likely to lead to rear-enders, especially if the slow vehicles are only identifiable by a relatively small "P" somewhere on their rear (if it hasn't already blown off).

John Rogers, Cook

The tolerance of the community for stoical acceptance of the regular death, anguish, pain and disablement of road travel is pushed to fresh heights by the record road toll we endured this past Christmas-New Year break.

We accept as part of normal life the horrors generally reserved for armed conflict.

The ordinariness of fatigue is reported as a factor in some of the most sickening crashes. Indeed, we drivers can probably all relate to weariness that the Victorian Transport Accident Commission reported accounted each year there for 50 road deaths and approximately 300 serious injuries. It's all a bit of a yawn.

The aspect of the matter changes entirely when illicit drugs contribute to fatigue, for here is someone on the margin of society, someone quite unlike ourselves; someone we can blame.

The illicit drug users are "the other". Of course no one should be driving with attention impaired by any drug, whether legal or not, but the yawn produced by the far more common misused prescription pharmaceuticals does not elicit the moral outrage readily heaped on the drug user affected by pharmaceutical methadone.

Why do we so more readily heap blame on the one rather than the other for actions that have the same sickening consequence?

The primary object of policy should be to improve road safety. Safety is improved by small steps. Let's for a start make methadone treatment more available so that those in treatment don't have to travel 150kilometres to access it.

Bill Bush, president, Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform, Turner

Suppose Matt Gately (Letters, January 1) enters a pedestrian crossing on his bicycle at 10km/h with a vehicle approaching on his right at 50km/h. It will take the average driver 1.5 seconds to begin to brake. In this time the bicycle will have travelled 4.2metres onto the crossing. The vehicle will travel about 21metres before the brakes are applied.

If the vehicle is closer, the roads slippery, the tyres in poor condition, the speed faster, etc, then there will be a high likelihood of an accident. Safety on the roads is the responsibility of ALL users.

Peter Snowdon, Aranda

Terry Werner (Letters, January 2) correctly notes that a driver approaching a zebra crossing may not have enough time to react and brake, from the time that an approaching cyclist becomes visible.

He seems to think that in this situation cyclists should be required to stop their vehicles and push them across the crossing.

Where similar situations occur at intersections, they are addressed by Stop signs. I do not know of any places where drivers are required to stop their vehicles and push them through intersections.

Leon Arundell, Downer

While the "denigration of women in packs" is a behaviour that is perhaps not condoned on the streets of Canberra ("Summernats needs a change in culture if it is to become family friendly", canberratimes.com.au, January 7), the completely gratuitous sexual objectification of women certainly is.

For an example of what is apparently considered acceptable on the streets of Canberra, see the large hoarding on Furzer Street in Woden promoting Geocon's forthcoming development on the Woden Tradies site.

For some reason, this promotional signage displays several side-on images of a tall, leggy woman dressed in a swimming costume, astride a bicycle, and showing as much thigh (and beyond) as possible.

Karina Morris, Weetangera

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has cowed the UC with an email ("PETA lobbies University of Canberra to ban petting zoos", online, January 9).

"Noah's Ark Farm Friends previously visited UC four times a year to give frazzled students the chance to pat its hand-reared animals ahead of exams." The UC won't be making further bookings.

Possibly companion dogs and other animals which visit hospitals and geriatric homes will be PETA's next targets.

One hesitates to consider their opinion of guide dogs.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

PETA should get off their high horse and give the Petting Zoo a break.

Has anybody ever seriously suggested these animals are being treated cruelly?

I suspect not.

M. Moore, Bonython

Greg Kennett's letter about parking fines (Letters, January 2) reminds me of an experience we had in 2016.

My wife and I parked in a new gravel-surfaced parking area and went to do some shopping. When we came back within 30 minutes we were surprised to find a parking infringement notice for parking in a spot for disabled drivers.

I looked around and noticed that there were two small "disabled parking" signs a parking spot or two away from our spot.

There were of course none of the usual markings on the ground that we are used to as NSW drivers.

The fine was a considerable sum for pensioners, and I suggested politely in writing that perhaps it could be waived in the circumstances based on the lack of clear signs, plus the thought of a poor old pensioner closer to 80 than 70 on a freezing cold day, my only previous car offences being two parking malefactions long ago (sorry to those readers who are already weeping).

Greg will be pleased to know that my plea fell on deaf ears and we contributed our bit to the coffers of the ACT.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

I see the ACT government has usurped 30 public car parking spaces for politicians and a handful of senior staff.

What an abuse of power. Politicians and senior staff should catch the bus.

This may drive home to them that their planning policies in reducing the number of required car parking spaces for developments is undemocratic and short-sighted.

Undemocratic because the public want more car parking and short-sighted as public transport costs are increasing rapidly at the same time as private transport costs are decreasing.

If there are car parking spaces that aren't being effectively used by the public, they should be allocated to those in most need, such as parents with kids at pre-school where it is practically impossible to use buses.

John Skurr, Deakin

Last month the government announced plans to block foreign interference in Australian politics.

It is ironic that a Liberal government is sponsoring the legislation and the responsible minister, George Brandis, is now off to London.

In January 1948 the federal president of the Liberal Party and later governor-general Richard Casey flew to London in search of money to help defeat the Labor government's plans to nationalise Australia's private banks. Staying at a fashionable hotel in Albemarle Street, Casey fanned out across London to warn British bankers and other investors that the prime minister Ben Chifley and his legislation would threaten their Australian holdings.

His goal was to secure £100,000 for Liberal Party coffers to finance a publicity campaign against the government.

Casey even brought along advance copies of promotional materials so British bankers could see where their money was going.

In time the Liberal Party and the Australian banks orchestrated one of the most expensive, bitterly fought and successful public relations battles in our history.

With a little help from supporters in London, Robert Menzies won the 1949 election forcing Labor from power for the next 23 years.

Sam Dastyari's efforts to help Chinese business people cultivate ties in Australia rightly deserve censure. However, the hapless Senator is just the latest in a long line of party officials out to attract foreign money into Australian politics.

Bob Crawshaw, Weston

Rather than contemplate a change of date to commemorate Australia Day, why don't we simply broaden its purpose and create a wider forum for discussion? Let us celebrate Australia Day as a date of truth and reconciliation; of acknowledgement of Australia a multi-cultural nation that has achieved much to be proud of; and at the same time recognise the wrongs of the past.

Indigenous Australians can rightfully express their views of the past, present and the future on this day as well as celebrate progress the country has made over 230 years. The non-Indigenous Australians can celebrate being Australians and also be made aware of those wrongs.

To change the date could be more divisive and would disenfranchise the Indigenous, non-Indigenous Australians and prospective Australians.

Australia Day committees have been active in most local government regional areas and major cities for over 30 years.

It is hoped these committees would support a change of emphasis rather than changing the date.

The peoples of Australia, including educators and all levels of government should take time to reflect on the broader significance at this time. Equally the Australia Day ambassadors' message should represent non-Indigenous groups and Indigenous peoples to unite all Australians.

Steve Small, Hughes

There have been quite a few letters in recent times about the untidy, even shabby, appearance of parts of Canberra (for example, Janet Bogner, Letters, January 9).

The suburb I have lived in for the past six years is one that many Canberrans might have thought to be tidier than most. It certainly isn't.

Long, dry grass is everywhere, especially on public land. Many nature strips appear to have remained unmown for years, and some are developing deep, bare troughs from cars frequently parking on them.

Potholes in much-used roads, such as those around the local shops, are frequent, and one, abutting a pedestrian crossing, has been there for months.

Perhaps most symptomatic is Hannah Place, two streets back from the shops and much-frequented by visitors who use it for parking.

The gutters and drains have not been cleaned out for at least the six years that I've been here. The debris has clogged the majority of the length of the gutters.

As a result, the gutters overflow and substantial ponds form during and after heavy rain. It's a disgrace.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

PURPOSEFUL CLEANING

I agree wholeheartedly with Mary Robbie (Letters, January 8) and would like to add another suggestion to her AMC inmate one. Why not invest in training our long-time, fit, unemployed to use the tools and machinery required to clean up our neglected city. This would help to reduce the number of people on the dole and give them training and a sense of purpose.

Val Walker, Yarralumla

GENIUS AT WORK

Donald Trump is giving all the rest of us very stable geniuses a bad name.

K. Hagon, Scullin

VISUAL POLLUTION

Ian Cochran (Letters, January 9) is spot on the money when it comes to more "Marker " buildings for Woden. The last thing we need is more visual pollution. The Sky Plaza is a mistake from which the ACT Planning people should garner some valuable lessons.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

BARK ON THE TRACKS

Who's going to clean the Mannifera bark out of the tram tracks on Northbourne?

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

TESTING TEMPERATURES

As a 75-year-old retired nurse, I believe it was reckless to allow a cricket match like Monday's last Test to continue in those temperatures. Australia did not win (fairly). The match should be played again. This was bad sportsmanship. There could have been a fatality.

Aidan Magellan, Canberra

SHARING IS CARING

Yes Matt Gately (Letters, January 10), the road is for sharing. Cyclists' attitude (as well as drivers') is also key; they also need to accept that the road is for sharing.

Don Sephton, Greenway

NO IMPROVEMENT

Has anyone noticed how much better Canberra, Canberra planning and Canberra services have become since our local council decided to expand itself from 17 to 25 members? Neither have I.

George Beaton, Greenway

EVERYONE'S A WINNER

It seems that North Korea will now be sending a team to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Will it be the same as in the old days when you couldn't go home unless you won but then again not going home might be the real win.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic

NO POINT IN 'P' PLATE

Visiting from Canada, where we have quite strict graduated licensing, I was surprised to see a young fellow by himself in a car with a P plate. I assumed it was someone else in the family who was a 'learner' driver.

On reading my Canberra Times later on, all was made clear. I couldn't believe the laxity. It begs the question, 'why bother,with the designation 'P' at all?

Sandra Hanmer, Ngunnawal