ROAD ACCIDENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 21, 4 November 1938, Page 6

ROAD ACCIDENTS.

FOURTEEN DEATHS IN OCTOBER. COMMENT BY THE MINISTER. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 3. “Fourteen lives were lost on the roads last month, compared with 20 during October last year,” said the Alinister for Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) to-day. ' Notable features of the month’s accidents, the Minister said, were the very bad Labouj- Day week-end, when eight lives were lost, tho wonderful road safety record of 19 days without a fatal accident and the epidemic of drunken driving toward the end of the mouth. “Nine of the 12 fatal accidents occurred at night,” said Air Semple. “Each of three pedestrians was killed at night. Tho only cyclist killed lost his life at flight, and there were five night collisions between motor vehicles, including one where the rider of a motor-cycle was pushing his machine. Eight of the 14 deaths oecurred during Labour Day week-end. The period between 6 p.m. and 1 a.in. was the most dangerous during the month, two-thirds of the deaths .occurring between these hours. “An interesting feature of the month’s' fatal accidents is that they reflect tho improvement shown every month since duly in tho accident rate outside large towns and cities. The fatal accident rate in metropolitan and town areas has increased very seriously in proportion during this period. 'ln October last year 15 deaths occurred in rural areas, and live in towns and cities. During this October, however, deaths on rural roads have been reduced from 15 to six; but deaths in cities and large towns from five to eight. Auckland, led with three fatal accidents. During the last three months, the fatal accident rate on rural roads has been haired.”