MR Phillips complains about “Drivers being targeted” in his letter to the Journal.

The use of scarce police resources to reduce road casualties makes sense.

Spending a small amount to save some of the large amount of money that road casualties cost us all while at the same time reducing the misery and pain caused to victims and their families and friends can only be a good thing to do.

Mr Phillips’ twisted logic seems to suggest we should have no enforcement of the law on speed limits, drink driving, non-wearing of seat belts or use of mobile phones while driving – all things that research show to be the most common cause of road casualties.

Dividing drivers into responsible and irresponsible is naive and simplistic.

We are all prone to lapses in concentration, making mistakes and underestimating the risks involved in everyday driving. The idea of the well publicised “purges” that the police carry out is not to catch as many people as possible but to deter offending.

The fact that this tactic works so well explains why it is done “over and over again”.

This is an example of policing at its best.

JULIAN HEWITT Fordingbridge