ACCIDENT COSTS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 12

ACCIDENT COSTS

Minister Gives Figures (IV.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, April 13. In Dunedin Public Hospital last year, 301 persons were treated for injuries received in motor accidents.

The treatment cost approximately £lOO for each person and they occupied 5400 beddays in the hospital. These figures were quoted by the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine) tonight when he presented prizes to the wihners of this year’s economy run from Nelson to Dunedin. Road accidents and deaths had cost New Zealand £10,000,000 in medical expenses last year, he said. But he congratulated the drivers for the high standard of road safety they had maintained on the trial, and commended the organisers for enforcing so rigidly the rules of the road “Your scrutineers in each car insisted that the drivers did not go one half mile an hour over the 55 miles an hour speed limit —even the Transport Department is not as strict as that.” he said.

Mr McAlpine said the fact that every car in the event was fitted with safety belts was a great step forward in road safety In Sweden, w'here half the cars were now fitted wfith safety belts, road deaths last year w’ere down from 800 to 600.

In New Zealand this year, the number of fatalities was considerably behind the total for this time last year.

Space Head In Sydney,— The director of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Mr Walter Williams) arrived in Sydney today on his way to inspect the Woomera rocket range and the missile tracking station at Muchea, near Perth.—Sydney, April 12. i