ROAD ACCIDENTS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 24

ROAD ACCIDENTS

VO THE KDrTOU OF TUB MIES". Sir, —We hear much these days of the slogan "safety first," and our streets are painted with white lines in all directions to guide pedestrians in the way that they should go. But accidents at intersections still occur, and one wonders why no steps are taken to minimise risks at many of our street corners, where high hedges or wooden fences are allowed to obstruct the view. Surely it would be but a simple matter to introduce a law that corner fences must be kept low for a specified distance each way. You recently reported the enforcing of such a by-law in the Ashburton County—certainly a very simple and necessary method of reducing the appalling number of accidents in our Dominion. There are dozens of dangerous corners round Christchurch— potential death traps all—two typical examples being Brown's road with St. Albans street, and Halton street with Papanui road. Hoping the City Council will assist Mr Semple in his praiseworthy effort to save precious lives. —Yours, etc SAFETY FIRST. March 1, 1938. LWhen this letter was referred to the Acting-Town Clerk (Mr J. W. Niven). he said that the City Council's inspectors were under instructions to deal with and report any cases where trees and hedges interfered with the view of drivers, and numbers of intersections had been made safer for trafflc.J TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —The correspondent who signs himself "Pull Your Socks Up" is not far out when he says that most of our troubles are caused "by the multiplicity of half-baked opinions that arise out of ignorance." As an instance he quotes, perhaps unconsciously, his own case, that of the driver who has somewhere to go and has to maintain "a reasonable speed" to get there. These drivers, whose objectives may be Picton or Greypiouth, or perhaps the nearest pub, must learn to drive according to traffic, even if it necessitates an earlier start. As your correspondent regards a speed of 30 as very slow, it would be interesting to know what he considers a reasonable speed, or what is safe for a man in a hurry, like himself. Many cars to-day can do three times 30, and if your correspondent is making full use of his car he will find that an older model, trundling along at 70 miles an hour is a far worse menace to him than one at 30, because he has to stay off-side longer when dealing with it. Unfortunately, there are too many drivers of your correspondent's mentality, and the number is fast increasing. The transport authorities have allowed the manufacturers to foist on to us cars which can only be described as dangerous junk, but they will soon have to draw the line somewhere, either by discouraging their importation or by sealing, them down. Some drivers' can be trusted with these machines, and it may come hard on them, but drivers like your correspondent are becoming too common, and their attitude towards other drivers too selfish to trust them with high speeds.—Yours, etc., T A S. March 4, 1938. SO THE EBITOB OF THE rttSSS. Sir, —The question of motor-car accidents is one of such importance that any sidelights which can be thrown upon it are of very general interest. In the United States of America there is a Highway Research Board, whose function it is to deal with and report upon all matters connected with highway traffic. At its last meeting Dr. H. M. Johnson, a member of the board, reported the result of an investigation he had made into the incidence of motor-car accidents in a certain locality. His findings were based upon a study of nearly 30,000 Connecticut drivers, who had licences and presumably operated cars straight through from 1931 to 1937. , A Dr. Johnson's researches showed that a small percentage of drivers, whom he called "accident-repeaters," tend to be involved in accident after accident. Though numbering less than 4 per cent, of the total number of drivers connected with accidents, they nevertheless were concerned in 38 per cent, of the fatal accidents. 36 per cent, of the non-fatal personal accidents, and 38 per cent, of the accidents in which no one was injured. He also found that "accident-repeaters" tend to shorten the time between accidents as their accidents accumulate. "The fourth accident, for example, tends to follow the third more closely than the 'third follows the second." It is not unlikely that New Zealand harbours its "accident-repeaters»" who may do harm out of all proportion to their numbers, and it is a reasonable suggestion that employer, insurance company, and licensing authority should see to it that a record is comDiled of all accidents whether their consequences are serious or trivial, so that the "accident-repeaters" may be detected and their opportunities for inflicting damage be curtailed.—Yours, etc PEDESTRIAN. March 4. 1938.