42 Died On Roads During July

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30511, 5 August 1964, Page 16

42 Died On Roads During July

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 4.

During July, 42 persons were killed on the roads, 14 more than for July last year. This tragically illustrated the dangers of winter driving, the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine) said today.

Road deaths this year to the end of July totalled 255, compared with 238 in the same period last year, Mr McAlpine said. “The most striking feature of the analysis of the July fatal accidents is that, compared with July last year, the deaths of drivers and passengers have doubled,” he said. Week-ends continued to take a heavy toll, with Saturday by far the worst day, the Minister said. Eighty-seven persons had been killed during the hours of 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Traffic patrols were to be intensified during these

(hours “in a special effort to reduce our accident rate.”

Mr McAlpine said that with six deaths on the first day of the month, a poor start had been made for August. With August weather always unpredictable, the only answer lay in extreme care by all persons on the road. Drivers should keep speeds down to a reasonable level and be constantly on the alert for pedestrians and cyclists. “Pedestrians,” Mr McAlpine said, “will have to exercise more care crossing the road.”