ROAD ACCIDENTS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 4

ROAD ACCIDENTS

CO THE BDITOB 07 THE PRESS. Sir, —Your correspondent, “T.A.5.,” is apparently a perfect representative type of that vast army who are unaware that “a little wisdom is a dangerous thing”—particularly with motorcars. For instance, he obviously accepts speedometer readings with touching faith, nor does he doubt for a moment the word of the driver whose “old bus just did 95, my boy.” He tells us that “many cars to-day can do three times 30,” which, for his guidance, makes 90. .Doubtless this apostle

of inuagination is unaware that there exist B a magazine called “The Motor,” that this paper conducts rigid tests of all makes of cars, that cars submitted for soch tests are always in the pink of condition—and yet only one make of car selling in New Zealand under £SOO exceeded 80 miles an hour, much less 90. Even that car did only 81. It is extremely doubtful if 10 cars in Canterbury can genuinely do 90 miles an hour. Of course, I realise that “T.A.S.” is a lustv writer-to-the-paper on many subjects, and that the accomplished literary' “gent” is apt to scorn base fact when floating in the rarefied atmosphere of literary creation; whereas I am just a lover of exactitude, and only speak when I am certain. “T.A.S.” assumes with airy casualness that because I condemn a funeral pace I must necessarily always drive “flat out” (anyway he expects me to pass any car doing a mere 70). It is, of course, quite obvious that he is a “week-ejnd driver” himself, and his experience limited to that class of driving. If he had driven up and down our main roads on humdrum business! days as often as I have, when the roads are carrying regular (experienced) traffic, he would find he could maintain 60 where practicable and pass nobody, for the simple reason that everyone else is doing the same speed vrhich is normal modern cruising, It would enrich his small experience to do that some time. He would meet the common experience of regular travellers, who find the roads almost empty while they travel, yet know that if they stop for a short while scpaads of cars will go pastdoing 6(X A O » In the same airy way, T.A.is. assumes inexperience on my part. May I tell him I have owned 10 cars over a pex’iod of 14 years, and in the ordinary coutrse of business done such trips as the (>own Range as far back as 1924 Otira Gorge years ago when it was’ something of a hurdle and not the boulevard it is to-day, and Karamea (if he knows where that is) in an old “Tin Liz” before the earthquake that stopped traffic there for a long period. And I have never even dented a wing, though, since I live in a world .of cyclists and nitwits. I am touching wood. “T.A.S.” considers me selfish to expect ordinary consideration from weekenders who are out on a short pleasurejaunt, when I am going 200 or 300 miles on a Saturday or Sunday so as to save a little time in the (to me) important matter of earning a crust. He would , . I append more facts as opposed to fancies, from the “Automotive Daily News” October 23, 1937, page 6, as follows:— “Figures tending to prove that almost three out of four trian fatalities are the fault of the pedestrian, not the motorist . . were developed through a survey of 1238 recorded deaths from 1932-36 inclusive . . . showing that thos e w vocate drastic restrictions on drivers luch as the. installation 6f governors on cars apparently are shown to be on the wrong track. Most of the deaths (868) occurred between intersections, where the pedestrian is ° n * he sivc, instead of at intersect*ons (JWO) ■ where he has the right of way. Yours, otc^ LL yqur SQCKS up March 5, 1938.