“SLOW DOWN AND LIVE”

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27751, 31 August 1955, Page 7

“SLOW DOWN AND LIVE”

Slogan Adopted For Motor-Cyclists “The Press’* Special Service WELLINGTON, August 30. “Slow Down and Live” is a slogn which road safety and traffic authorities are taking up in a campaign to reduce the high death-rate among motor-cyclists. Excessive speed of motor-cyclists, “having regard to the conditions,” is cited in. the latest bulletin of the New Zealand Road Safety Council as the cause of 31 of 72 road deaths last year where speed was the cause. Emphasis is laid on the “conditions” and the bulletin says that it is not only “break-neck” speeds that can prove fatal. Most accidents last year occurred when speeds were between 30 and 40 miles an hour, followed closely by speeds in the 25 to 30 miles an hour bracket. In the first half of this year 43 motorcyclists were killed. This is an increase of seven over the same period last year. Pedestrian deaths exceed those of motor-cyclists by eight—an increase of three over the previous year. Other fatal accident categories with the figures for the first six months of last year in parentheses are: Drivers, 42 (30); passengers, 41 (52); cyclists, 19 (20); pillion riders, 5 (3); power cyclists, 3 (0). A campaign to reduce bicycle accidents is also being launched by road safety authorities. In this drive the assistance of parents, especially of young cyclists, is being sought.