Road Safety

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 6

Road Safety

Although the road safety campaign initiated by the Junior Chamber of Commerce is in every way admirable, it will not achieve its object if, after a week of intensive propaganda, the effort is allowed to relax. Much more will have to be done by way of education, propaganda and all-out effort on the part of individuals and organisations if something really effective is to be accomplished. It must be a full community effort; and it must be sustained. Until every citizen realises that this is not the responsibility of someone else, but his own as well, even if his first point of view is self-interest, a fall in the death and accident rate on the roads will be as remote as ever. The only way to sustain the effort is to interest every organisation and every individual in it. Something of the kind has been achieved in several Canadian cities. In Winnipeg, for example, a city-wide campaign inaugurated in 1938 produced notable results. The police, Government and municipal organisations, service clubs, motorists’ bodies, schools, business institutions and the churches were called upon to get in behind the effort; and all did. To remind the public daily of their responsibility flag poles were erected at four conspicuous, central spots in the city, on each of which flew a white flag printed with the word “ Safety On a board near the bottom was shown day by day the length of time the city had gone without a fatal traffic accident. In 1939, Winnipeg, a city of nearly 220,000 inhabitants, had 228 consecutive deathless days and has had many long periods since when it has been unnecessary to hoist the black flag, which indicates for one day the

occurrence of a fatal accident. Public reaction to this symbol is reported to be remarkable. In New Zealand, the number of deaths and injuries on the road (last year there were 188 deaths and more than 4000 were injured) is Probably no higher

than in other countries in proportion to population and number of vehicles; but it is nevertheless a depressing and terrible record, the more depressing because of the seeming complacency with which it is regarded and the outrageous manner in which the simple rules and precautions against accidents are disregarded every day and all day. Since accidents do happen and may happen to anyone in any family, in spite of everything that has been said and written and done to prevent them, it becomes difficult to know how to awaken the public conscience to universal insistence on safety precautions. Yet it must be done if this disastrous trend is to be checked; and the only way to do it is by a community effort such as the young men of the Junior Chamber of Commerce are attempting to inspire and sustain.