PRESIDENT REPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 210, 6 September 1938, Page 16

PRESIDENT REPORTS.

YEAR'S WORK REVIEWED.

ROAD SAFETY INCREASES

POWERS OF THE- COUNCIL.

'A matter which gave rise to more discussion than any other at union meetings during the year was the proposal of the Minister of Justice to impose the doctrine of absolute liability against motorists in cases where personal injury resulted from motor accidents," stated the report of the president. Dr. E. E. Porritt, to the recent annual meeting at Hawera of the Xorth Island Motor Union. "Although this union is as keen as any other body to see the number of road accidents reduced and to see that persons injured in road accidents do not suffer unduly, it does not believe that the Minister's proposals were just in achieving the desire at which he aimed. His proposals had entire disregard for the fact that motorists were in very many cases not primarily responsible for accidents, hut the reasons for the union's objection to the Minister's proposal are too many to enumerate here." In recent years the Government had concerned itself with road safety morethan formerly, stated the report. One result was the formation of the National Road Safety Council, which the unions maintained would give beet results if given executive powers instead of being merely an advisory body, while it was felt that the motorists could be given more adequate representations. Automobile association road safety work was being subsidised by the Transport Department. Lectures to schools were given by, the Automobile Association .wherever possible. Representations were being made to the Government to have road safety instruction included in the syllabus of teachers' training colleges and for instruction to be taken more seriously in schools. Statistics Compared. A companion of statistics showed that in the 19 months from September, 1936, the number of road accidents for

each 1,000,000 gallons of benzine usi was ,2.65 against 3.31 for the previoi 18 months. More could be achieved t co-operation* between, traffic officers, ar police in the education of pedestriai and cyclists. 'V' . Many features of pedestrian cross in; remained unsatisfactory. Uniformit wa« required and some indication 1 give warning to motorists on dark < wet nights of the proximity of a crost ing. Much remained to be-done to edi cate motorists and pedestrians. The Minister of Finance had. not see hiswwaty t clear to meet in any respet the representations made to him i relieve motorists of then* taxation bm Sen. A deputation representing a automobile, associations waited on th Minister in "' September with request concerning the petrol, tax, car registry trad, driver'* licenses, heavy traffic feet Dertificates of fitness, highways .boar funds and derating. The Minister mac his reply in June. It was particularl lisappointing in view of the inequitabl ind unfair system of taxation again* notorists. §fr% rf^ Concerning the. vast expenditure o road purposes, the report suggested tha in unsatisfactory feature-of the fihan dug of the .operations Was that interes Iras', payable On money borrowed. Mi if,i'll Wynyard, the motorists'represei (itlve on the board, did valuable wor ind .his rep»rts werp excellent.-