Right-hand Turns

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31329, 28 March 1967, Page 12

Right-hand Turns

The Christchurch Road Safety Council is undoubtedly right in principle in proposing a uniform rule for right-hand turns in 30 m.p.h. and 55 m.p.h. areas alike. The council would be on less sound ground if it accepted the suggestion made at its meeting last week that reform of the law would compel the reform of road engineering—and therefore might safely precede it The theory behind the present rule for the open road, which is a rule of expediency, is sound enough: get the turning vehicle off the road until the way is clear for it to make its turn in safety. If it is to stay on the road while waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic it must be provided with a waiting lane or, better, a bay in a traffic island long enough to accommodate several vehicles. The widening of the left-hand approach to the intersection would of course be necessary. On a national scale this would be expensive and slow: it might delay more urgent road works. The Transport Department should be able to give the Road Safety Council some statistics on the number of accidents caused by confusion over the turning rule. It should also be able to estimate the cost of the engineering work required before—not after—a uniform rule could safely be introduced. The balance of advantages and disadvantages may be in favour of continuing, at least for the time being, the present expedient. The dangers could surely be minimised by some intensive education of road users in procedures for the different speed zones, now to be increased by the introduction of intermediate speed limits.