HOLIDAY ROAD SAFETY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28155, 19 December 1956, Page 9

HOLIDAY ROAD SAFETY

WARNING BY TRAFFIC AUTHORITIES APPEAL TO DRIVERS FOR UTMOST CARE (New Zea Lana Press Association) WELLINGTON. December 18. Between today and January 2, if statistics from the last six years are any guide, at least 15 persons are likely to be killed, and 330 injured on New Zealand roads. The average road toll for the Christmas and New Year holidays has been one death and 22 persons injured during the last six years. Traffic authorities in Wellington today appealed for supreme care to be exercised by motorists and motor-cyc-lists in dense holiday traffic. So far this year, they said. 215 persons in the North Island had died as the result of road accidents, and 95 in the South Island. There were 11 fatal road accidents in Wellington during the year. Twenty-two persons were killed in Auckland. 12 in Christchurch, and 10 in Dunpflin During the last six Decembers, 184 person? were killed and 4969 injured in motor-vehicle accidents on New Zealand roads. There was a fatal accident almost every day. and one person was injured every hour of every day.

During 1955. there were 6676 road accidents, as a result of which 333 persons were killed and 8976 injured. Causes of Accidents The most common causes of accidents were: Failure to yield right of way at intersections; inattention or diversion of attention; failure to keep to the left; excessive speed; inexperience or incompetence; and negligent overtaking.

Accidents, unless caused by a mechanical failure, could be prevented, said the chief traffic officer of the Wellington district (Mr C. A. J. Peterson) today. The Transport Department was determined this Christmas to keep accidents to a minimum, and would make every effort to prevent deaths on the roads.

The drunken driver would be given no quarter, said Mr Peterson. Where there was a borderline case—and There were many at Christmas—the vehicle would be immobilised until the driver was fit to take charge of it. Some accidents were caused by weariness, said Mr Peterson.

“Our advice to drivers who feel fatigued is to pull to the side of the road. It is amazing what half-an-hour's rest will do.” he said.