WHILST waiting at Portswood traffic lights after dark Thursday, a cyclist passed me against the red light.

No lights fitted, no warning instrument, no mudguards and I suddenly realised that there is no control over bicycle riders.

You see, he wasn’t in any danger of being prosecuted. After all the Police, whenever they are there, ignore them.

I am old fashioned about the Road Traffic Act which doesn’t seem to exist any more. The dangerous thing is he is one of thousands in this town with no traffic sense, and he doesn’t need it.

We motorists take extra care of people who don’t care. I believe the authorities go to schools and teach the youngsters how to signal and behave.

Once they leave school and find it is open season on motorists they forget all they were taught. There seems to be no control and with the shortage of officers, there never will be again.

We all know the responsibilities of being a motorist, and the veiled threats made by the law.

It doesn’t seem to have any effect on motorists who continue to use mobile phones and dine at the wheel.

So when will the laws of the land be enforced before all authority is lost?

Alan Blandford, Southampton