Road Safely

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29245, 1 July 1960, Page 8

Road Safely

Sir.—From a perusal of the letter written by G. P. Purnell in Saturday morning's issue I realise that mine was the hand responsible for the "rude and raucous blast” which he received last Sunday morning at Carlton Bridge corner. Mr Purnell, supported by the Traffic Superintendent, contends that both vehicles are changing direction by making a right turn. I say that this is incorrect. The Harper avenue motorist certainly makes a rightangle turn into Park terrace, but the Carlton Mill driver makes no such turn. He is following a road running round the river in a wide arc, and I say that the other fellow, turning right into this road, should wait for him. I apologise to Mr Purnell for the assault bn his ear drums, but still claim that I had the right of way. This view, I might add, was endorsed by one of Mr Kellar’s staff many months ago.— Yours, etc., E.H.S. June 26, 1960.

[The City Council Traffic Superintendent (Mr G. P. Kellar) said: ‘ I'have no intention of entering into any newspaper controversy but will quote two decisions. In Transport Department v. Hocking, Palmerston North, on January 22. 1957. Mr Sinclair, S.M., held that the rule applied in the case of two roads slightly off-set from one another. In a case where the Lower Hutt City Council was prosecutor, Mr Thomson, S.M., held at the Lower Hutt Court on October 20, 1952, that even if the change in direction to the right is slight the rule applies. Should ‘E. H. S.’ care to study a survey map he will find that the turn from Carlton Mill road to Park terrace is slightly more acute than right angle.”]