The Press WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1962. The Road Toll

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 12

The Press WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1962. The Road Toll

No regular reader of a newspaper will be particularly surprised by the Transport Department’s alarm about the road casualty rate. Since the Easter holidays. when 10 persons were killed on New Zealand roads, successive week-ends have produced a depressing catalogue of deaths and injuries. On April 28-29 there were at least 10 deaths, on May 5-6 seven, on May 12-13 seven, and on May 19-20 nine. Up to April 25, road deaths for the year totalled 116. If the recent death-rate is maintained, 1962 appears certain to be an even worse year than 1961, when a record number of fatal casualties—39l —was reported. Perhaps the most tragic feature of motoring is that far more lives are lost during weekends and other leisure periods than during ordinary working hours. For this reason strict policing of week-end and holiday traffic should be the most effective way of reducing the casualty rate. It is notoriously difficult, in spite of modern scientific aids, to determine the causes of many accidents. The recent statement by the Transport Department’s traffic superintendent (Mr J. C. Edwards) contained much sound sense about the need for every motorist to behave responsibly and intelligently. The department cannot be expected to have inspectors available to see that the law is obeyed on every stretch of highway.

Because of this, it must also appeal to the conscience of the average motorist, and to his awareness that only through general observance of the law will order and safety be preserved for travellers like himself. It should not be forgotten, however, that this year the speed limit on the open road was raised to 55 miles an hour—a decision about which we expressed misgivings in January. Supplies * of higher-quality petrol' have added to motorists’pleasures, and also to their ! temptations. At present it is impossible to be dogmatic about the psychological and practical effects of these two factors upon potentially reckless or inexperienced drivers. There are still hundreds of old vehicles that create hazards, even' when driven at moderate! speeds. Recent experience ■ in Britain, where a speed! limit of 50 miles an hour, is being tried for holiday' traffic, indicated a 15 per cent, drop in casualty rates' after the restriction was, imposed. On May 19 the Manchester “ Guardian ” commented that “ a speed “of 50 miles an hour is “ a reasonably high limit “ for most British roads at “ holiday times, and there “ seems little doubt that the “ enforcement of such a “ limit does reduce the risk “of accidents ”. Though traffic and climatic conditions may differ in Britain, is the parallel not sufficient to make New Zealand think again about a lower speed limit?