ROAD SAFETY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22050, 25 March 1937, Page 20

ROAD SAFETY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —After all the enthusiasm which has been shown for Mr Semple's scheme of road safety, many persons will be disappointed at the shape this proposal is taking. They must be wondering whether the whole thing is only a farce, just a one-sided piece of camouflage. So far all attention has been centred on the old cars, to try to find some mechanical faults in them, and Mr Semple's advisers can well afford to make scapegoats of these, for their own are not likely to show many defects, The real danger on the road to-day is from drink or speeding: either is bad enough, but unfortunately the two very often go together. Why are these problems not tackled first, instead of fooling with the old cars and getting ndwhere. Can it be possible that our advisers are not as confident of themselves as of their cars. Only last week a judge of the Supreme Court had to speak very plainly on this matter, saying in effect that so many people are unsafe in their driving that when an accident occurs there is mote sympathy for the offender than for the victim. There has been no serious effort so far to deal effectively with either the man who persists in driving while drunk, or with the man who through carelessness kills or smashes up another person. Obviously, neither of these should be allowed to drive a car again. It is well known that there are too many of these conscienceless brutes driving on our roads, and they should be taken off as soon as they prove themselves so. Instead of this, all energy is to be concentrated on ridding the road of many of its useful and steady-going vehicles. If an owner cannot replace his condemned car, it follows that he goes'off the road too, leaving it clearer for the road hog who is the only one likely to feel pleased. It would be absurd were it not so serious.—Yours, etc., T.A.S. March 23. 1937. •