I recently had a fairly minor bump near Guildford. Details were exchanged, the insurance companies have locked horns and no doubt in due course a puff of white smoke will emerge from one of their chimneys to identify who was held to be responsible. OK so far. However, I subsequently received a bloodcurdling letter from some sort of third party representing the other driver, threatening me with all sorts of unpleasant actions (private prosecutions, dragged before a judge etc., etc.) if I did not provide them with my insurance details, despite the fact that these had already been exchanged at the scene and in any event, as you point out in your column, can easily be obtained online. This letter was so threatening that I believe it could easily have caused serious health problems if the recipient was suffering from a complaint that could be exacerbated by stress, threats, harassment and worry. As I understand it, there are several pieces of legislation that are supposed to protect against threats and harassment, but my insurance company says these letters are routinely sent to its policyholders, and as they break no rules or laws, nothing can be done about them. It seems quite extraordinary that this loutish behaviour is apparently within the law, and that law abiding citizens must therefore take as much of this punishment that these thugs care to dish out.