DRIVER FREE OF BLAME.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19112, 22 September 1927, Page 3

DRIVER FREE OF BLAME.

ELECTRIC CAR COLLISION. THE INQUEST CONCLUDED. ' The Coroner's inquest, into tlß> death of. Frederick William Woolley, who .died as. a result .of injuries received when the trolley. 011 which he was riding colliding with the Railway Department's electric car, was concluded yesterday before Mr H. A. Young. _ John Connor, brake inspector, said that he tested the braking power of the electric car on two' oocasioiis. On one occasion the test wiis conducted on frosty rails, .when at 35 miles an hour the car travelled 147 yards before stopping. On the other, occasknr, at 37 miles per hour, the car] stopped in 75 yards. Taking everything into consideration witness" thought the, driver of the. car .had done well in pulling up in 100 yards. : Edward James Wilson, car inspector, said lie made a thorough test of the lights 011 the ear at night and under similar conditions to those on the night of the accident., A velocipede of the same colour was used iu the tests, and-a man in a dark suit. Travelling -slowly they could see the velocipede 71 yards away, but witness did not think, under ordinary conditions," the driver would pick it up at more than 50 yards' difference. The light was very bright and ordinary print could be read at 200 .yards distance. A bright coloured object could be easily seen. The Coroners Could the light be made stronger? —It really wouldn't assist the driver. . Supposing a motor-car was stalled across the line, could the driver of the approaching electric train see it in time?—-If it were a light car, easily. Light Should be Extended. You don't know any reason why. the light should be more powerful?—No reason at all. The light is more powerful than' that in many of our ordinary engines. Would it be advisable to paint velocipedes a different colour?—I don't think so. They are not used at night except rarely. Woolley should,under regulations, have been carrying a light. . Is'it not a question as to whether the lights should not be strengthened so that'the driver of the car can pull up in his ordinary vision? —It would be of 110 benefit to us. Perhaps not, but might it Hot be to the benefit of the public, especially at ' crossings?— Yes, it might - perhaps be to the public advantage. A verdict was returned that Woolley died at Christchurcli from injuries accidentally received through a railway electric ear . colliding with a railway trolley which he was endeavouring to remove from the railway line. _ "The inspector had plenty of time to get clear," said the Coroner, "but apparently his main idea was to get the trolley off the line and avoid a collision. ■ He was evidently hit by the trolley after the car had struck it. No blame is • attachable to the officer in charge of the electric car." "Under the special circumstances surrounding the running of an electric railway car." he added. "I think that in the nublic interest the ransre of the headlight- should be extended so that the driver-could pull- up within his range of vision when running to schedule time."