SPEED RESTRICTIONS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 279, 7 September 1936, Page 6

SPEED RESTRICTIONS.

FORMING “EXEMPTED” AREAS. THE MINISTER’S INTENTIONS. (Per Press Association.) 'AUCKLAND, September 5. The Minister for Transport, the Hon R. Semple, stated in an interview today that lie intends to exercise the authority given him under the new regulations to create “exempted” areas in which the speed limit of 30 miles an hour will not apply. On main highways beyond: the congested areas and where intersections are infrequent, signposts will be erected marking where the “exempted” areas begin and end. Thirty more main highway traffic inspectors will he appointed, making a total of 56 working throughout the country.

“We are going to train the inspectors to be the friends of the motorists and not their enemies,” said Mr Semple. “They will learn to separate the decent person who has made a mistake from the man who wilfully breaks the law.”

Mr Semple added that up to a fortnight ago there had been 53 persons killed in a period of six or seven weeks. It had gone to the point of “common slaughter.” Hie was not going to allow men who took too much liquor to get into a mator-car and turn it into an infernal machine. The hit-and-run driver was a coward and a potential murderer. There had been six or seven, cases lately where drivers had not been located. When they were, he hoped that magistrates would give them the maximum penalty and make examples of them.