World Code Urged For N.Z. Driving

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30406, 3 April 1964, Page 1

World Code Urged For N.Z. Driving

Unification of motoring practices is the general aim of the World Touring and Automobile Organisation and, according to its secretary-general (Mr M. H. Perlowski), New Zealand’s contribution should be in adopting symbol road signs, removing open-road speed limits, and possibly changing to driving on the right of the road.

But he has not yet advocated this officially as he is on his first visit to develop the organisation in this part of the world.

Mr Perlowski emphasised that the World Touring and Automobile Organisation had been formed by the International Touring Alliance and the International Automobile Federation, the recognised world bodies of the touring and Automobile Association movements, for the specific purpose of unifying motoring laws and regulations, licensing, documentation, and other matters

His organisation had a compact expert staff, recognised by the United Nations and all its agencies, which worked through the alliance and federation and all their affiliated groups. Development The organisation was founded in 1950, partly as a development of activities in which Mr Perlowski was engaged. He was in the Polish Foreign Office before the war and afterwards in the Warsaw Ministry of Communications. From this he became secretary of the European Central Inland Transport Organisation set up to untangle “the reading mess” left by the war. When this job was done, he was co-opted to the Inter-

national Organisation of Motoring Organisations in 1947 and out of this came the new combined organisation, the headquarters of which are in London.

Simply stated, the organisation aimed at “harmonious, safe, and economic development of motor traffic internationally,” Mr Perlowski said. This meant being agreeable to the driver. New Zealanders who went abroad in their thousands, now motored widely overseas and appreciated what unity in customs formalities, licensing,

and driving practices meant in Europe, he said. Nonplussed Overseas visitors to New Zealand, more of whom could be expected to hire cars or bring their own, might be nonplussed by unfamiliar practices. The motorways and many highways in New Zealand would admit driving to the common danger. Dangerous driving of all kinds could still be penalised. Mr Perlowski said density of traffic imposed its own restrictions and in built-up areas overseas limits of 30 and 40 miles an hour simply saved confusion. Symbol signs used overseas were more easily recognised than a plethora of worded advice. This change could be made in this country without much trouble, as most were self-explanatory. They also removed language problems. Driving on the right was now pretty general except for Britain and the countries from India and Pakistan out to New Zealand. Sweden decided to change to the right recently. Side For Driver Here again, said Mr Perlowski, unification was a goal. This question raised the thorny issue of whether the driver’s wheel should be on the same side as the side of the road used. Experts said it should because the driver then kept as close as possible to the outside edge. Now that Europe has a good degree of unity in motoring, Mr Perlowski’s organisation is opening offices in Bombay and Sydney to advance work in Asia and Australia and New Zealand.