FEWER DEATHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 54, 5 March 1937, Page 3

FEWER DEATHS.

SAFETY CAMPAIGN.

MOTOR ACCIDENTS DECREASE

DRUNKEN DRIVER MENACE.

(By — Press Association.) \Y 1~J.T.1 N'( i TOX, Tim rsda v. (Ira t ilira t ion at the results of the road -afctv campaign was expressed bv the Minister <if Transport, the Hon. It. >cmple. in a statement to day. The .Mill i.-11' ;■ said it was now possible to tin' effect of tlic campaign, which opened iii -Inly. i here had been a marked decrea-e ill the number of road ao< idents, lint lie was still concerned with the problem of the intoxicated driver. "He is a menace to the nation," •-aid Mr. Seniple, "and I will not rent until I have -tamped him out." The Mini-ter said the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act. which became law at the <nd of .Inly, had laid down a genera! -pci d limit of .'ill miles an hour in built-up areas. At about the same time the eilcct of the publicity which had been carried out had beuun to lv felt. Tile bep inning of August conhl tbereiore be taken as the coinmcnceinent of the -alety caiiipai;:ii. and it. was interesting to compare tile lOlhi road <leatli lii!ui'cs up to that date with the subsequent iijjtircs.

'"During the seven months up to July •il an average of 21 persons a month were killed mi the roads in Sew Zealand, represent ing a rate of 247 a veai*,** said the -Minister. "Krom that date until the end of the year the average was just over 12 a month, or 14(i a year. "ihe saving in lives during those live months can be estimated at the rate of KH a year, which means that 42 lives were saved between July and December ia.-t as the result of the safety campaign. During the whole of 1930 there were 2(1."i deaths resulting from road accident s. Deaths Due to Intoxication. "J- inures for the two holiday months of December and January are now available. Kxcept that several critically injured persons who figured in accidents during January are not yet out of danger, during those two months .'{<! persons were killed—2o in December and l(i in January. During the Maine two months of a year ago 42 were killed. It allowance is made for an increase of )."{ per cent in the number of vehicles on the road, this represents a saving of 11 lives during those two holiday months, as compared with the previous year. "I p to the present time reports of inquest proceedings oil 20 of the persons killed during December and January have been received. From these reports the disipiieting fact emerges that intoxicating liquor featured in the loss of 11 of those 20 lives.

"It is necessary to issue a particular vvarning to motor cyclists. Although the total of all trallie deaths lias been siilista lit ia 11 v reduced <1 urinir the last lew months, the death rate among motor cyclists lias remained constant at lour a month. Motor cycles comprise only about one tenth oi' the motor vehicles in use. hut'(luring the last seven years llicy have been involved in nearly a (juarti r of all the fatal road accidents.

•■'l'lii' ( ;<>\i-i iiini'iit is doing itrs. best to make the roads safe fur all users. It* programme is now fairly well under operation, and considerable improveiii«nt i* already ajt|iareut. Other a\ enui'.s are being explored, and as opportunity offers any tint her measure* thought to be iie<ess:iry will lie introduced. Apainst some forms of careh>>ncss the (iovernment can and will take correct i\e steps, but there are many t'oinis of ea reles»ner;s that 110 (Ou eminent can do much about. They rc.M entirely \\ ith individuals themm I\es. The need lor the ufmo>t c;\re is always constant and its exercise is certain to <;et result.-."