THESE MOTORISTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1936, Page 8

THESE MOTORISTS

HOW TO MAKE THEM

CAREFUL

Inventive brains and fertile imaginations have been-working at-high pressure pouring out suggestions to reduce the number of motor accidents in New Zealand since the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) embarked on his road-safety campaign. Suggestions have come in by the hundred, and two of them which were selected by the Commissioner of Transport (Mr. G. Laurenson) greatly entertained those present at a function given in his honour last night. The first suggestion was that traffic officers should lurk in the scrub at the side of the road or otherwise conceal themselves and that they should be equipped with a long strip of rubber in a coil, Vith spikes in one side, the idea being that when the "speedhog" is seen approaching the traffic officers could dash out and with a nicety of judgment uncoil the wicked rubber strip -with a nifty flick of thn wrist so that the tyres of the car would run over it and the tyres be punctured. The other suggestion related by Mr. Laurenson was one incorporating ideas which it has been reported have actuallly been carried into practice in a modified form. The first essential is a knee-pad, which automatically operates brakes and other devices calculated to make any^ driver's hair stand on end should he take his knee away from the pad. The scheme provides for lights flashing in front of the driver, a fan, above his head to cool him down, and lots of other things, including a squirt in the face from a spray on the dashboard or some other place, to force home the need for the exercise of the greatest care when driving.' This suggestion appealed greatly to the Minister's sense of humour. His suggestion was that instead of all the racket involved in the scheme it would be far simpler to put the motorist out of his misery by electrocuting him.