MAJOR ROAD AHEAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 116, 12 November 1938, Page 30

MAJOR ROAD AHEAD

RESTRICTION OF SPEED

MULTIPLICITY OF SIGNS

The opinion that there was a tendency for road signs to become so numerous that the. roads were cluttered "and the signs became like pickets on a fence," was expressed with some, emphasis by Mr. F. W. Freeman at this week's meeting of the South Island Motor Union. . If the tendency was not checked. he complained, the motorists of the future would have to lesrn off by heart a whole "curriculum of signs—30 or 40 pages of them."

, Mr. Freeman's remarks were based oh a'letter seeking the union's views on the advisabiftty of putting up new signs, restricting speeds to ten miles an hour at intersections, where side roads meet major roads. Most of I the members were against the proposal. The majority favoured a simple sign, "major road ahead," instead of an arbitrary speed limit. The proposed.regulation would only weaken the right-hand rule, Mr. Freeman declared, and he was strongly supported by Mr. J. S. Hawkes, who claimed that the right-hand rule, if enforced with the same strictness as that used for combating drunkenness on the roads, would be an adequate safeguard. Other members strongly advocated putting in the "major road ahead" sign, and the final decision after 50 minutes of keen debate was to ask the Commissioner of Transport to hold the matter over until the next quarterly meeting, when there would be further discussion. It was said that, for urgency, , the views of individual automobile associations had been sought, and that conflicting opinions . had been expressed. Important principles were at stake, said the chairman, Mr. W. R. Carey, and time was needed for a full discussion by delegates. Most of. the objections to the new sign, which it' was said had . beenpublicly supported by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) were that it would.lead to a multiplicity ofsigns.—a position to be deplored, especially, members said, because it had been claimed when the 30 miles an hour signs were put up that other speed signs would disappear. "This proposal is a regular bombshell and somersault to us." said Mr. Freeman in later comment on theproposal, as the debate grew brisker. The was much unfavourable comment on the practice adopted in this case of seeking views from individual associations, instead of referring the matter only to the union: which was. the central body responsible for such decisions.