Carelessness Costs Lives On Roads

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 1

Carelessness Costs Lives On Roads

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 30.

The Commissioner of Transport (Mr R. J. Polaschek) said tonight that sheer carelessness had been the sole cause of many accidents over the Christmas period. Unless a great deal more care was taken in the next four days, the Christmas-New Year road toll would rise considerably, he said. i

Twelve persons have now been killed on New Zealand roads since 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. This is only one less than the road fatalities in last year’s Christ-mas-New Year period.

The year’s toll stands at 557, only one more than yesterday’s figure, in spite of the

deaths of two men who were found in their wrecked car near Methven late last night. Tonight the Transport Department disclosed that yesterday's figure had been reduced by one after confirmation that the death of a driver at Paraparaumu on Tuesday was due to natural causes.

Last year’s road toll was 428. The two men who were killed last night were:

Nonnan Escourt Richards, aged 64. a farmer, of No. 2 R.D., Rakaia, and Beilbie Maw. aged 70, a farmer, of Mount Hutt road, Methven. Both were married. They died when their car struck a tree and capsized on the Methven-Rakaia highway intersection of the Lauriston and Barrhill roads. An inquest opened by the Coroner (Mr H. G. Kemp), was adjourned after evidence of identification had been given.