REGULATION OF TRAFFIC

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27306, 24 March 1954, Page 12

REGULATION OF TRAFFIC

MORE PATROLS HELD NECESSARY

ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL’S RECOMMENDATION (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 23. The Road Safety Council wants more traffic officers to be on duty on the open highways. It decided today to recommend to the Minister of Transport (Mr W. S. Goosman) that there should be a special increase in the staff of the Transport Department solely for the provision of road patrols. Road accidents in 1952 cost the nation £8.500,000, according to a report presented to the council by the statistical section of the Transport Department presented to the Road Safety Council today. In 1952, 272 persons died on the roads. Last year, the number of deaths rose to 313. “This year, unless a great improvement can be enforced. the toll will be far more than 300.” the report said. There were 5589 motor-vehicle accidents in 1952, and 7448 persons were injured. “It is impossible to assess human suffering in terms of money/’ the report said. “The average number of accident victims in hospital in 1952 was 196. The total number of days spent in hospital during the year was 71,707. and 132 died in hospital. There was little information on the number wholly or partly disabled for life. “If such a vast amount of money is being wasted, apart from suffering, then the Government should be willing to spend a considerable amount of money in preventing further accidents,” said Dr. D. S. Rhind. “Cheeseparing in limiting the number of traffic officers and in limiting the petrol they may use should be dropped. The figure is staggering, and there is no reason why the Government should not be much more generous in its annual grants for road safety.” More traffic officers would help to reduce the cost of accidents, said Dr. Rhind. Motor Unions’ Views Mr W. H. Brown (representing the North Island Motor Union) said there had not been sufficient traffic officers on the roads. There were annual increases in the staff of the depart* ment, but they were spread through ths whole department. The Government should be told that, if the law Was to be parried out, there must be s larger number of traffic officers on *the roads. If there had been a greater number of officers, the accident position would not be so bad as it was now. Dr. Brown said. In a recent “blitz” on Palmerston North, 10 officers had issued 72 prosecution notices in three days over a 20-mile radius. The one officer normally stationed at Palmerston North could never had dealt with that number of offences. A number of the traffic officers had been taken from their normal areas for the “blitz.” Mr Brown said the council should be guided by public opinion. Both the North Island and South Island Motor Unions considered that there were too few patrols on the roads. The Budget would be presented soon, and now was the time to press for more officers. Miss M. Magill (representing women’s organisations) said the department should be left to decide when more officers were needed. Mr H. B. Smith, Commissioner of Transport, said the number of traffic ofiLcers on the roads had increased from 117 in 1948 to 176 in 1953. Offence notices issued in 1948 totalled about 10.000, and last year there were 30,000. There were 5300 prosecutions in 1948, and 21,000 last year. These figures showed that there had been a remarkable increase in enforcementactivity, Mr Smith said.