Easter Holiday Travel Warning

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31029, 7 April 1966, Page 16

Easter Holiday Travel Warning

(New Zealand Press Association! WELLINGTON, April 6 The good road record of the first three months of this year was no reason for complacency over the Easter holiday, the superin-tendent-in-chief of the Transport Department, Mr J. C. C. Edwards, said today.

Over Easter last year 16 people were killed on the roads or subsequently died of injuries, and between 500 and 600 were injured, he said.

The danger periods were on Thursday afternoon and evening, during the scurry to get away, 6-7 p.m. on the Saturday and late Saturday into early hours of the Sunday, and. again, laite on Monday afternoon and evening, when tiredness compounded other driving follies. “The after-hours and afterparties smashes on SaturdaySunday were the same old story,” Mr Edwards said. Pedestrians Suffer “Pedestrians suffered heavily last Easter through careless road behaviour on one side or the other.” Easter was always a risky time on the roads because people tried to squeeze in as much as possible in the last break before winter. Many took on more than was within their capabilities in the shortening days, he said. Generally over the country there had been a long spell of fine weather, making for more carefree and physically safer driving. If the weather broke, wet roads would demand more care and less speed.