ROAD SAFETY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 282, 29 November 1938, Page 18

ROAD SAFETY.

PROPAGANDA EFFORT. DESERVES SUPPORT. i , nil.it ity j>i:iVl-: ai.mkd at. Till , Mil! iiilllli cil'nlt t.) illl|il(~- II|K)M ill.- J .l11 >!i<• tin- ih'it—'ity for i-ari , mi the n.ii.N will iiml demon-native c\|iic--ii>ii t tin , I >'. in iiii. >n in tin , week ln"_:iiiniiiL' "ii Hi'i-i'liiluM- 4. ulii'ii |.r,.re<--i..ii- will In< lii'lil in tin , |ifilici|ial rellli.'-. Ni■ <• iII< —• to -ny. any movement ■vliicli ha- a- it- objeet the |nc\ ent inn "f .t• -<-i■ 11• i• t-. anil tin , iiii'iki'liilis of I'liliiir iiii,l,i-l,iii,lii- to a full -.■H-γ "I" mud-ii-iii:: i-f-|uii-iliilit v dc-ci \ c<. ami -liould .;i't. tin l In!lc-t nn'ii-iin , of support iinil ,i 11 nit ion. There lilβ— lio,'ii ;i ti'ii.li'ii.y tliroii'jli til' , \ojii-« to i-oiii-i'iitrnti' attention on tinniotiii vehicle n-er n- tin> chief wronj , - iloiT, ami to that oml inoi-t of tin- propa•j.inda la< lii'imi directed at him, and lie lui-i lii-eii iiiade .-ulijc.-t to a lnr<io miniIht. anil imkHo-.m vinioty, of )n\vi and ion-. In siiv notliinsr "f control mill i-«liii-itt i<lll liv pro-oiMit ion and lot«s dr.i-tic nieiiiis. accordiiiL , tu the ijnalilv ot hi* otTi'iiio. In addition the motor n-liii-lf 11-u'r liii- had to l>o lircn-cd, tcicd. ii inn Ix'i't'i] and in-nieil. Tills i< pointed out to «|m\v that the nioioi vohielc n-ei ha- not Ix-cn Iri-ted -ii far a< ollirialdom i- concerned, ami tin , hope i< expre<-ed that tlu , Tr<in«poi t I'Cpait incut, local liodie< and oi-jraiii--iitions iiliii-h will pai ti'ipate with i-iti/.i'tfi m'lieiiilly. will 'ji\f tho ronil -afety week demount Ia t ion- a eliHiiictor. In other \iord-. there should Im> iiuido on the duties of all

kjnfkdjgnt bldfhng nldn

road users, motorists, cyclists, pedestrian* and the drivers of horse-drawn vehicles, trams, bu-ses, etc., towards each other.

Rnnd safety depend* on the fulleet measure of co-operation between all road-using units, and if there is stress laid disproportionately on any one section of the road-using public there will be an apparent weakness.

The pedestrian, cyclist, horse driver, try in and bus driver must be taught their lesson in common with the motorist.

It ie suggested that 38 people i-hould tarry the banner: "'We will die on the loads next month unless you are careful." That banner might well read: " : . . . . unless you and we are careful.' .

Then the decorated tlraye with the legend: "We break no speed limits" may suggest an immunity from guilt for *uch drivers, but cyclists, motorists iind others know that dray drivers sometiinee forget the lighting laws, and as slow-moving vehicles often do break speed rules by travelling near or on the crown of the road.

The Transport Uepartinent will achieve a vast amount of useful propaganda work through the various media to be used in safety week, and the Department can ensure that the propaganda in its simplicity and effectiveness will impress those who see and hear, that the effort is a national masn attack on all forms of road-using carelessness by all forms of road-using units, pedestrians included.

The pedestrian is the most vulnerable unit, just as the motor vehicle because f.i its nature and its proper use or abuse, is the principal cause of injury. Motor transport is an essential influence in our national economy. It mu-st be regulated and controlled, as bicycle* or other forms of transport must be controlled.

And motor transport and cyclists deserve protection from the careless or foolhardy pedestrian, who must b<? controlled and educated to nafe walking lilies.

The. motor vehicle, of itself, is not a dangerous vehicle, but it certainly becomes so in relation to a careless driver, or in relation to a careless pedestrian.

Hoad accidents do not happen; they are caused by some fault on the part of one fir more persons awheel or afoot. An injunction to minimise the risk of fault is the object of the deserving effort now being organised throughout the lountrv.