ROAD SAFETY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1936, Page 9

ROAD SAFETY.

HEAVY PENALTIES. BILL BEFORE HOUSE. GOVERNMENT'S WIDE POWERS UNIFORM BY-LAWS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Important provisions • designed to reduce the number of road accidents are contained in the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill which was introduced in the Housb of Representatives by GovernorGeneral's Message late on Saturday afternoon. % The bill gives to the Government power to make regulations relating to all forms of road traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians. At present the regulation powers of the Government cover onlv motor traffic-

It provides power to the Minister of Transport to disallow any local by-laws relating to road traffic, thus giving him supervisory control over all laws relating to traffic. Provision is made for an absolute speed limit of 30 miies an hour in all built-up areas to replace the present confusion of local by-law speeds and discretionary speeds under the Motor Vehicle Regulations. Increases are made in the penalties for offences under the main Act, particulaily in tne the hit and run driver, who is placed in the same category as the reckless, negligent or intoxicated driver who causes bodily injury or death. A new definition is provided for a trailer, so as to include caravan-trailers, J which have been held not to be included in the present definition. Maximum Speed.

The provision relating to a maximum speed limit of 30 miles an hour applies to every city, borough and town district, and also in any other locality that is declared by the Minister of Transport by notice in the "Gazette" to be a closely-populated locality for the purposes of the bill. The speed limit is to be indicated in the declared areas by the erection of approved signs. Provision is made for the operation of lower speed limits to meet special cases, and' also that a lower speed than 30 miles an hour where that speed is the limit will not of itself prevent a prosecution for dangerous or negligent driving. — It i§ made an offence to drive a motor vehicle without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other road users. The periods for which driving licenses may be suspended for offences Tinder this section are limited to one month for a first offender and three months in the case of a second offence. For the purposes of this provision a conviction within the preceding three years for dangerous or negligent driving is to be counted as a conviction under the clause.

The clause relating to hit and run drivers provides for an increase in the maximum penalty to which a motorist is liable when he is involved in an accident and fails to stop, and, where any person is injured, to render assistance. The clause piakes his action a crime, and makes the maximum penalty the same as that for negligent driving causing death, namely, imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding £500. The present penalty is a fine not exceeding £20. Flo To £50 Fine. The general penalty for offences under the principal Act (where no other penalty is prescribed) is increased from a fine not exceeding £10 to a fine not exceeding £50. A fine of £50 may already be imposed for breaches of the regulations under the Act. The Court is authorised to dismiss a prosecution for a. minor motoring offence if in the opinion of" the Court the defendant has been prejudiced in his defence by unreasonable delay in commencing the proceedings, or in notifying the defendant that he has committed an offence.

It is provided that, in prosecutions for a minor motoring offence (where the maximum penalty does not exceed £50), the Court may receive evidence that is not strictly legal, such affidavits, letters qr written statements sent to the Court by the defendant. The purpose of this provision is to enable motorists who reside more than 50 miles from the Court to state their defence (if they so desire) without having to attend the Court with their witnesses. Registration of Bicycles. Provision is included in the bill for regulations to be made under the principal Act for the control of any form of traffic other than motor traffic, so as to make the control of motor traffic fully feffective. The regulations may deal, inter alia, with pedestrian traffic, the lighting of vehicles and the registration Sf bicycles. The Minister is empowered to disallow any traffic by-law made by a local authority if in his opinion the subject matter of the by-law should be dealt with by the principal Act and its amendments or by regulations under the principal Act. This will enable uniform provisions to be made for the whole of New Zealand in cases where there are now many different local by-laws. The annual license fee in the case of motor lorries used for the carriage of passengers is to be reduced from £3 to £2, but the reduction will not operate until June 1, 1937. The type of vehicle affected is the motor lorry used for carrying sports bodies, picnic parties, etc. The license fee for a motor lorry carrying goods is £2, and in the opinion of the Minister there appeared to be no reason for charging £3 for the same vehicle carrying passengers.