ACCIDENTS ON THE ROADS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21985, 8 January 1937, Page 8

ACCIDENTS ON THE ROADS

■ ♦ the holiday period MINISTER EXAMINES THE FIGURES SPEED LIMIT DEFENDED (rasas assoc.iatiom tbleoeam.) WELLINGTON, January 7. “Although I am far from satisfied with the results already obtained from the accident prevention campaign, it is encouraging to observe that there has already been a considerable reduction in the deatn rate on the roads,” said the Minister for Transport, the Hon. B. Semple, in a statement to-night. “The holiday rush is over, and perhaps we can now survey the mass of human wreckage that remains as part of the litter resulting from the celebration of a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Perhaps we can congratulate ourselves that this December was less deadly thap last December, because, according to the 'newspapers, only 20 persons vvere killed on the roads as compared with 24 last December. Of the 20 persons killed two were children. Only 97 others were seriously injured; we don’t know how many others were not so seriously injured, but we can count another 118 who merely suffered from such discomforts as fractured noses, lacerated faces, and mud concussion. We must not be < too optimistic, however, because so many of the seriously injured victims are still in a grave, condition, and that possibly last December’s death roll of 24 may yet be eclipsed. Again, the two months may not be strictly comparable. Five persons were killed between December 23 and the end of the year, four on Christmas Eve, and during the same period last yedr nine lost their lives. , ' “Traffic inspectors inform me that in general motorists were reasonably considerate, and showed very fair road manners this Christmas. Cases of wild and reckless driving were comparatively rare, and drunkenness at the wheel was less common.” Some Reductions The Minister said that during the first eight months of 1936 160 persons lost their lives, as compared With 125 during the corresponding period in the previous year, an increase of 35. Since September, when - the prer venticn campaign began to take effect, each month had shown a reduction in deaths, as compared with the figure for the same months in the previous year. September, 1936, showed eight less than September, 1935, October two less, November seven less, and December ' four less. “If allowance is made for an increase of about 13 per cent, in the volume of traffic on the road, a tally of 75 deaths during September, Octo- ' her, November, and December would be equivalent to the total for the same four months, of 1935,” said Mr Semple. “Actually 45 persons have been killed, with the possibility that a few others may yet succumb to injuries. It can fairly be claimed,. however, that ap r proximately 30 liyes have been saved during the last four months "■ by the steps already taken. Added encouragement is that notification of only one fatal accident occurring since December 27 has yet. reached me. and it is now January 7—lo consecutive days during the holiday period with only one death. Without! being unduly op--timistic. I think we can look forward fairly confidently to a January comnarativeiy free from road tragedy. We have made a good start—only one death so far, and there are reasonable grounds for assuming that the factors contributing most heavily to the numerous December smashes will be greatly diminished from how on.

Reforms in the Future "It is impossible to achieve great reforms overnight. The proposed strengthening of the traffic control forces has not yet been completed; the 30 miles an hour speed limit in populated areas is not fully observed; compulsory inspection of motor-vehicles is not in operation: and the investigations and recommendations of the Road Safety Council have hot been completed. These, steps and several others will be carried out this year, and if'necessary, I intend to persist until the roads are made reasonably safe for all users. If records for. the new, year show that* the 30 miles an hour limit is too high, in view of the number of accidents caused by excessive speed, the 'speed limit will be lowered. “The figures for the last several months have convinced me that notwithstanding the fatalistic utterances of those who claim that accidents will happen in the best regulated families, the toll of the road can be substantially reduced. It depends partly on the thoroughness with which I and my colleagues in the field of transport do our jobs, and I trust that in the . final analysis the people of this country will find that our efforts were well worth while. There has been some adverse criticism of the' 30 miles an hour speed limit,in boroughs, but this is the maximum speed not the minimum. “There is one ether matter to which 1 must refer. There has been goon anonymous criticism to the effect that I have appointed only two additional traffic inspectors,” concluded the Minister. , "As a matter of fact. 12 additional appointments have been made. It will not be the fault of the Transport Department if the present rate of accidents is not considerably reduced in the future.”