RECKLESS WALKING.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19971, 4 July 1930, Page 7

RECKLESS WALKING.

POINTS FOR PEDESTRIANS. CRITICISM FOR ALL. The Minister for Transport (Mr Herbert Morrison) scotched a rather ill-mannered attempt at barracking when he addressed the first annual ■public meeting of the Pedestrians' Association at the Central Hali, Westminster (says a London exchange). "I have come here to express my views, and i' I stay here," lie said "I am going to express my views. If I am not allowed to 1 shall roturn whence I come. That's all.". ~ Mr Morrison said that one of the temptations which needed to be resisted by all Associations interested m road traffic was the temptation too quickly to blame "the other fellow." All users of the highway—even pedestrians —could be legitimately criticised, but they would not get much farther if road users merely engaged in slanging matches. Criticism best began at home, and the first dutv ot all such Associations, whether pedestrian or motorist, should bo to bring moral pressure upon the unruly minority of their own members who were guilty of wrong conduct on the road, and endangered not only their own lives but those or others as well. , , , Whilst It was unfortunately true that many accidents on the roads were caused oy dangerous and reckless drivers, the Pedestrians' Association would not be wise to ignore the fact that many both to pedestrians and to motorists, were caused by dangerous and reckless walkers. So far we had not followed some other countries in imposing penalties on dangerous and reckless walking, and he earnestly hoped that such action would not become necessary, but if road fatalities continued to increase it might be necessary in. the general interest. The Pedestrians' Association could do much to make such | action on the part of Parliament unnecessary, particularly if they worked in co-operation not only with the Minister for Transport but with the motoring associations. The Ministry of Transport had devoted much of its attention to securing the safety of the pedestrian. Precautions that bad been devised, such as specified crossing places, subways. refuges, improved street lightinc. ono-wav and roundabout systems, traffic control signals, the highway code, and other Road Traffic Bill provisions, The Ministry, he said, were following with the greatest interest the experiment of the Manchester Corporation of the holding up _of traffic by automatic signals controllable by pedestrians.

The accuracy o# automobils speedometers is, to-day, practically taken for granted. If actual scientific tests were made, it is possible that this accuracy would probably be found to be approximate only, but in most cases so near to accuracy as to be of practical value for all ordinary purposes. But speedometers may become inaccurate, and generally they err, after long use, on the side of increasing the speed reading. Again, tyre wear will affect the reading. Given a tyre with, at first, a good thick tread, which has worn down considerably, the reading will be on the fast side. If the tread wears half an inch in diameter the car will travel approximately one-and-a-half inches for each rotation of the wheel. This will increase the speedometer reading by a email Amount. If the owner is in doubt about the accuracy of his speedometer, he can easily check it between mile-posts.