Bay of Plenty Times. TUESDAY, JAN. 5TH, 1915 ROAD HOGS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 6275, 5 January 1915, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. TUESDAY, JAN. STH, 1915 ROAD HOGS

Lloyd George characterised the Kaiser as the road hog of Europe. Tauranga during the holidays seems to have been full of tin JS Tew Zealand variety. That we have them is regrettable; that we can't entirely tree our roads of them is still more so. But to none will this be more regret-

table than to the motor-ear owner or driver who behaves decently on the road. By the fact that he drives a car he is being brought into such public disfavour by those who do not behave decently that it is unfortun-

ately casting upon him the onus of assisting to bring these road hogs to a proper sense of the rights of others upon the roads. Much has been written on the subject and much will doubtless continue to be written before drivers of other vehicles will feel that they can use the" roads in safety. Two glaring cases on the part of motor car drivers during the past fortnight have been brought under our notice. Iv both cases there were undoubtedly good grounds for prosecution, but unfortunately, as is usual ia such cases, the culprit gets away amid the confusion and his number is not taken. Endless suggestions have been made for the more efficient control of motor traffic, but seemingly nothing short of a long term of imprisonment for manslaughter in the first case in which loss cf life is caused through the proved neglect of a motor-car driver to observe the regulations that already exist will have the desired effect. Motor-cars we know have come to stay, but it does not necessarily follow that all other forms of locomotion on the roads must disappear instantly. There :s nothing either clever or an:using in keeping a motor car to the wrong side of the road, and then suddenly swerving under the nose of an approaching horse. The duty of teaching such drivers better manners rests

as much upon other motor-car drivers as it does upon tho general public. If they do not think it does and faii to assist in cleaning up the roads in this respect, they will unquestionably find that their friend the road hog will land the whole outfit of motor car drivers in such a slough of restrictive regulations that motoring will become a sore trial instead of a pleasure.