COMPULSORY STOP SIGNS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26971, 21 February 1953, Page 3

COMPULSORY STOP SIGNS

CRITICISM MADE BY CORRESPONDENT

REPLY BY COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORT The view that the right-hand rule, in conjunction with traffic lights, is better than the new methods of compulsory stop signs, is expressed in a letter to the editor of “The Press from Professor L. G. Pocock. The letter follows: — Do the new “Stop” signs in Straven road and Innes road confer the right of way on the ‘‘main road” driver, or should he give way to the (stationary) car on his right? In the latter case a “Caution. Main Road Ahead" sign would be less ambiguous. In the former case, a new and, I think, a very bad principle is being introduced. It is the driver entering traffic from the right-hand side who needs consideration. Under the main road system, as under our present modified system of the right-hand rule, he is called upon to look to left and right simultaneously and to judge the speed of approaching traffic from cither side. This gives rise to frequent uncertainties and abuses. The old righthand rule (in conjunction with traffic lights) was best. I should be much surprised if most members of the traffic police would not agree. Commissioner’s Reply The Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. L. Laurenson), to whom the correspondent’s letter was referred, said cars had to give way to traffic on the main road and could not proceed until the main road was clear; they could be prosecuted if they failed to observe this rule. The old right-hand rule, he said, caused a good deal of confusion as vehicles had to give way to the right irrespective of whether the other car was turning or not. At intersections a car wishing to turn right across a traffic stream had • right of way as it was on the traffic 1 stream’s right hand side. This confusion. which occurred particularly at peak hours, was removed when the new rule laid it down that any vehicle ; changing direction had to give way. 1 The new rule was introduced on ’ December 23, 1943.