TRAFFIC DANGERS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22419, 4 June 1938, Page 16

TRAFFIC DANGERS

♦ ACCIDENTS TO YOUNG PEOPLE CONCERN EXPRESSED IN “EDUCATION GAZETTE” Concern is expressed in the June number of the “New Zealand Education Gazette” at the number of acci-v dents occurring to young people', which were the subject of a report issued recently by the Minister for Transport • (the Hon. R. Semple!. The gazette includes a poster emphasising the need for precaution in crossing the street and.quotes a table showing the number of accidents in which persons under the age of 20 were involved from April to December of last year. The article, draws attention to the fact that all of the . six fatal accidents to pedestrians were to children between three and eight years of age. The table, showing the approximate percentage of total accidents, is as follows: ’

Casualties for Year “The casualties for the year ended March, 1938, are provisionally stated at , . 1300 dr an average of 25 each week," , the gazette continues. “That these ac- -■ indents represent one-fourth of the total casualties is, in itself sufficient to cause much concern to parents and to teachers and others who are in nhy way able to protect young people from the dangers arising from ignorance or carelessness. Moreover, the question is serious when viewed from the aspect that too many young people are acquiring bad road habits which ihey may carry with them into adult *life." The' pester issued with' the gazette shows the right and the wrong ways of crossing the road, one section showing a child running across the road with a warning that it Js safer to walk, • and the other showing a chili looking to- right with the advice: “Look to the - right—walk smartly across.” The poster- is issued by the courtesy of the Transport Department, and will be followed at intervals by others. Mr L. E. Rowley, secretary of the Canterbury Education Board, /said yesterday that it was hoped that teachers would give the fullest publicity to the pesters.

Approx. centFatl. Ser. Min. TL age. Pedestrians 6 42 146 194 20 Pedal cyclists— Riders 9 51 248 308 Passengers .. — 3 9 12 33 Motor-cyclists— Riders. 6 22 75 103 _ Passengers .. — 8 36 44 15 Motor-cars— Drivers 1 5 27 33 Passengers .'. 14 35 199 248 30 Tricycles and trolley-riders 1 6 7 — Totals 36 167 746 949