IN ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 203, 28 August 1934, Page 14

IN ENGLAND.

MOTORING CONDITIONS.

ATTCKLANDER'S EXPERIENCE,

H. J. BUTCHER'S COMPARISON.

Comparisons between English and New Zealand roads, and conditions of motoring in the two countries are contained in an interesting letter from Mr. H. J. Butcher, a member of the council of tho Automobile Association, Auckland., who has been touring England for the past three months. Mr. Butaner says:—

The motoring conditions in England are quite different from New Zealand. We in New Zealand think we are hard done by, but when we consider that the A.A. of England have to defend not less than 30 of their members every day for not observing the traffic lights, of which there are thousands, it makes one think.

The authorities have just installed white lines (herringbone fashion) in certain uncontrolled places for pedestrian crossings. A sign is erected marked C and at these crossing? the 'aotorists must give way to the pedestrian, and if the motorist breaks the rule he is liable to a. fine on the first occasion of £5, and if the pedestrian loiters or crosses outside the line he is liable to a fine of 5/. What a difference!

During the three months I have been in England I have motored, upwards of 4000 miles in cities, towns, villages, main highways and byways, and have so far not seen one mile of road that is not sealed, and the majority of them are as level as billiard tables. Notwithstanding these perfect road surfaces the average speed maintained is much

lower than in New Zealand, owing to the great amount of slow moving heavy traffic that is encountered, and which is

very often difficult to overtake owing to the oncoming traffic. Slow progress is made in threading one's way through the narrow streets of the towiss en route, and if one takes the byways to avoid the traffic, the roads are narrow, with numerous sharp bends. In the South.

i In -the South of England the country is undulating and there is no more beautiful eight-than to viev fr.,m the top ».f

a rise an English village nestling in the valley belpw —a picture that only England can give. In New Zealand we only meet pedal cyclists in or near the towns, but in England they are all over the country, wandering all over the road three or four abreast. No wonder 800 or 900 are killed every year. Over a million pedal cycles were sold in England last year.

Many year 3 ago, in my early days of motoring in England, no motor driver would dream of. passing-a fellow motorist who was in trouble, but as time went on if was said that chivalry on the road was , dead. Perhaps it was for a time, :but another "gentleman of the road" has,appeared—"the heavy traffic driver."

In all Imy experience of 30 years' motoring I have never come across such a splendid lot of men as the commercial driver in England for ■ using signals. They always seem to have one ey* on their rear vision mirror. If-you should come up behind a-lorry or 'coach and almost before you have made up your mind -_to>overtake it, you will get the signal -wS'ether it is safe to pase or not. A signal from one of these men is as safe as from a traffic officer.

'I will "quote one special instance. I was driving clong a quiet country road and a large lorry came round a bend towards me, and as soon as he saw me approaching he signalled me to go slow. As I passed him and got round the bend there were two cows straying on my side of the road. I wonder how many lorry drivers in New Zealand would be so considerate to a. private car driver? Generally, drivers of motor vehicles, whether of private cars or heavy vehicles, use the recognised traffic signals far more than we in; New Zealand. Few drivers think of entering a major road without almost coming to a standstill to look for oncoming traffic. Cross-roads are liberally marked with the word "Slow" painted, on the roadway.

Pedestrians and Cyclists,

On reading these remarks one might be inclined to say, if all drivers are so careful as this, why are there so many people killed every week in England

(180 last week). The answer is that the pedestrian and the pedal cyclist are mainly to blame, and to my mind if they were as. careful as the average motorist, the. death roll ' would be considerably reduced.

Another cause of quite a number of road accidents is the dangerous nature of the- patches of glass-like surface of bitumen, or asphalt after a shower of rain. One can be driving on a road whfch has been laid with a non-skid surface at .35 miles per hour, and suddenly come on to one of these glass-like finishes. Before you know where you are your* front wheels and back wheels change places.

Tho density of the..traffic in and about 15 miles round London is terrific. What \-jvill happen in the next 10 years if motor vehicles increase in numbers like they have in the last few. years, one can easily visualise. Those who have visited London know how harrow' the streets are and that it will be a matter of impossibility to wklcu them owin the enormous cost. At present tru. is being diverted into what were intendflcV to be quite residential streets in a'n endeavour- to relieve the congestion.