“All-Out Easter Blitz” On Irresponsible Driving

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27628, 7 April 1955, Page 12

“All-Out Easter Blitz” On Irresponsible Driving

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 6. Because the death-rate on the roads had begun to rise with the approach of Easter, the Government had decided in the public interest to operate special safety precautions during the coming holidays, said the Minister of Transport (Mr W. S. Goosman) today. “There is to be an all-out blitz on irresponsible driving,” said Mr Goosman. “This will be done through the reintroduction tomorrow of the special safety measures that proved successful during the last Christmas period in keeping deaths down to their lowest figure for “The TranspdWDepartment has marshalled all posßole resources for this drive to protect the public, and tne Government appeals to all road users to exercise that extra care and caution that can mean the difference between safety and danger,” said Mr Goosman.

Every available officer would be assigned to patrol duty, and this force would be augmented by Army and Air Force provosts. Local body traffic officers would patrol main highways, and flying squads of cars and motorcycles, with a roving commission, would appear in the most unexpected places. “Speedsters and other irresponsible drivers will soon find that they cannot get away with it,” said Mr Goosman. “The patrols have been instructed to keep a strict look-out for drunken drivers.”

Mr Goosman asked all road users to co-operate with the Transport Department. “The motorist must realise his responsibility to drive carefully at all times,” he said.

“We are extremely concerned about the excessive speeding that has been apparent in the last two weeks,” said the Dominion Chief Traffic Officer (Mr P. C. Watson) today. Micro-wave detectors had shown that road speeds were now .the highest since Christmas. Mr Watson said that there would be even more traffic officers on the roads at Easter than there were during the road safety campaign at Christmas. There would be well over 300 traffic officers from the Transport Department, local bodies, and the Army and Air Force. This would enable the department to extend its patrols well into the night and to have larger concentrations of men on duty during the peak accident hour of 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Patrols would be on the look-out for overloaded cars. Mr Watson also issued a warning to drivers not to take any chances on level crossings. Extra trains would be running at Easter, and drivers who often used a particular cressing might not be aware of special trains, and so should be additionally careful.

Mr Watson said that before drivers set out on their Easter trips they should check their headlights. He advisdd them to avoid night driving whenever possible in favour of starting their journeys early in the morning.