City Campaign Against Traffic-light Violations

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 22

City Campaign Against Traffic-light Violations

Th< Christchurch City Council traffic department was holding a “blitz” on drivers who went through red lights and stop signs and failed to give way at give-way signs, said the chairman of the council’s traffic committee (Cr. T. D Flint) yesterday. Drivers who went through red lights or tried to beat amber lights were far too common, he said, and a determined effort was being made to stamp out these pracA particularly noticeable fault was that many motorists followed the car in front at traffic lights instead of watching the lights. Thus, in bord-er-line cases where one car would “just make it” as the light changed to amber, several others would follow instead of watching and obeying the lights independently. It was not uncommon for the last car in- the line to go through the intersection on the red light. In addition to this, there were many instances of flagrant and wilful violation of red lights. The department was also holding an intensive campaign against unlit cycles; Cr. Flint said. Parking Near Corners Also, the department had recently marked many corners in the city with lines showing where parking should end before the comer. This had been done because the high rate of accidents at intersections was caused by a combination of excessive speed and poor sight distance. By prohibiting parking too close to the comer, the sight distance could be improved. At present two types of marking were being used, one a large X on the road covering the no-parking area, and the other the more usual white line at right angles to the kerb. No-Stopping Boxes As another improvement to traffic flow at intersections the department was considering marking no-stopping boxes on the road at the intersections of Manchester street and Bedford row and Gloucester and New Regent streets. A no-stopping box is marked on the road, in yellow paint, at the southern outlet from the Square. It has

been there for many months. At this intersection, where traffic leaving the Square and that going around the Square had tended to become tangled at peak periods, the box had done a wonderful job in improving the flow of traffic. Cr. Flint said.