DRIVING ON MAIN ROADS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 18

DRIVING ON MAIN ROADS

A Review of the Rules INSPECTORS* ADVICE TO MOTORISTS

Tips for the experienced and for the inexperienced and regulations covering main-road driving are given this week by the traffic inspectors of the Transport Department. Their advice is culled from their experience in regulating traffic on the main roads and from thousands of miles driven over these roads every week. A grave menace to his own safety and to that of others on main roads is the slow driver, doirig, say, 25 miles an. hour, who keeps steadily along the Centre of the road. The fact that a road has been paved with a bitumen strip does not remove the onus from anyone of keeping as close as practicable to the left of the roadway. A regulation which is sometimes thought to be ineffective on main roads is the giving way to traffic approaching from the right. This rule applies to every public road in New Zealand. And it must be remembered that wherever one road joins another, even if it does not cut across it, there is an intersection. It is wise, of course, for traffic from side roads to approach main roads cautiously, because main road traffic might be going fast; but the onus still, remains on the driver on the main road to give way on the right. If he is going too fast to do so, it is gafor not to insist on your right if you are coming from a side road. Intersections on main roads give rise to another common failing of motor drivers. That is overtaking within the regulation distance of an intersection. Particularly near towns this rule is frequently broken with attendant risks. Overtaking of other road users is covered by a special clause in the regulations requiring the overtaking vehicle to have 300 feet of clear view ahead. Cyclists are road users and must be treated in this respect the same as another car. Approaching the crest of a hill, even such a crest as that made by the Styx overhead bridge, care must be exercised in overtaking. The regulation provides that the overtaking car must not be closer than 150 feet to the crest when it overtakes. Glaring Headlights

The greatest' bugbear and a constant source of danger at nights are glaring headlights. Many motorists may not be aware that their headlights create a glare, and to guard against this they should first of all see that their lights are correctly focused; and second, take it for granted that' if an approaching car dims its lights the driver wants you to do the same. The lights should be tested with a load in the back seat. Correctly focused lights are often thrown out by a load in the rear. This is particularly applicable to small English cars. For the safety of all, it is a good rule to dim the lights at night when another car approaches; even when following another vehicle. Speed is the greatest problem to many users of main roads. What speed is allowed? The answer is that there is ' no speed limit on any road except in an area defined by the regulation 30 miles an hour sign. 1 There is a big “but” to unrestricted speed. The motorist must govern his speed according to: Nature and condition of the road; mechanical condition of his car (brakes, steering, general condition); weather and visibility (fog, heavy rain, or dust); due consideration to other road users (this applies particularly in heavy traffic flows); and the general condition of the driver (health and fatigue).