Signs ‘Helpful’ At Some Off-Set Intersections

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 7

Signs ‘Helpful’ At Some Off-Set Intersections

Motorists travelling southwest in Bolton avenue and intending to proceed into Sydney street had to give way to vehicles travelling straight along Selwyn street in a north-westerly direction, Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., ruled in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. “Where there is a doubt in the mind of motorists as to what they should do at intersections such as these, one would have thought it would be helpful to have some sort of give-way signs, so that this type of accident would not happen,” said the Magistrate. The Magistrate dismissed a charge against Wayne John Murray, aged 17, a clerk (Mr G. R. Joyce) of failing to yield the right of way at the intersection of Selwyn street and Bolton avenue on June 3. The charge arose from a collision between Murray’s car, which was travelling straight along Selwyn street in a north-westerly direction, and another car which was crossing from Bolton avenue into Sydney street. If a car being driven along the left-hand side of Bolton avenue travelled straight through the intersection with Selwyn street, it would enter the incorrect side of Sydney street, the Magistrate said. Consequently, to enter Sydney street correctly the car would have to veer to the left and then to the right. Even if the driver took a short cut and went across at an angle he would still have to veer to the right. “Some of these intersections are more off-set than others. In some, the deviation

is so slight as to cause no confusion. “It seems to me that in the circumstances of this intersection the defendant was not under an obligation to give way, and the charge is dismissed,” the Magistrate said.