HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 37, 23 November 1938, Page 2

HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

EFFORT TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS. SAFETY WEEK PLANNED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 22. .During the last Christmas and New Yeas’ holiday period 38 persons were killed and 856 injured (218 seriously) on the roads of New Zealand. This Christmas there will b'e 25,000 more cars on the roads, and many of these will be under the control of inexperienced drivers. The accident risk will therefore be greatly increased. It is felt that a large proportion of the tragedies expected on the roads this Christmas can ,be prevented, and a. special road safety effort is being made next month with this end in view.

A Road Safety Week is being organised throughout Non Zealand, commencing on December 4. Arrangements . are being made with the national and commercial stations for the broadcasting of slogans, dialogues, playlets, and talks throughout this safety period, and road safety material will also, be supplied to the press. A special radio appeal will be made by the Minister of Transport on the evening of December 4. A procession of six decorated floats will leave Christchurch and Wellington on December 5, the first travelling through to Invercargill and back, and the second to Auckland.

In order to make this national humanitarian effort a success it is essential that in each major centre an organisation should be set up to coordinate activities, to organise the distribution of road safety materials and to make local arrangements regarding the processions. Poster Competition. Prizes of 15 guineas, five guineas and five prizes of one guinea, each are offered for a pedestrian poster competition to he held in connection with the Road Safety Week. It will he controlled by the Safety Week Committee, Christchurch, and the Christchurch District Office of the Transport Department. The competition is open to any person or firm in New Zealand without any restriction. There is no entry fee and any number of entries may be submitted. The posters must have application to the pedestrian safety problem. The entries should not' exceed 20 inches by 30 inches, and shall he suitable for lithograph reproduction. All entries submitted become the property of the New Zealand Government. The judges will lie selected by the Christchurch Road Safety Committee, and will include a representative of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and the Minister of Transport.