Race To Scene Of Accidents

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31345, 15 April 1967, Page 22

Race To Scene Of Accidents

fNeta Zealand Fr««« AeaociaMon) AUCKLAND, April 14. Breakdown vehicles from competing firms were racing each other through Auckland streets at dangerous speeds in an effort to be first at the scene of an accident, said the city traffic superintendent (Mr N. A. Lake) yesterday.

Mr Lake told tiie Auckland City Council traffic committee that the attendance of'so many tow waggons created an air of tension at the scene of an accident

“Shocked and injured motorists,” he said, “are being prodded into selecting a salvage firm."

Expressing its alarm at the situation, the committee decided to ask the Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) to consider declaring breakdown services as licensed goods services.

Licences would be then issued on the condition that the applicants were prepared to comply with a roster system approved by the district licensing authority. Mr Lake said that for some time four city towing services had observed a roster system, prepared by the police, for towing away vehicles damaged in accidents.

The system had proved to be satisfactory, he-said, but recently problems had arisen.

A firm offering a tow waggon service ignored the roster system, by some means learned of accidents, immediately proceeded to the scene, and removed vehicles before the arrival of vehicles of the rostered service.

“The activities of this particular company have created a certain amount of antagonism among breakdown services. It reach a climax on a recent Saturday night when a breakdown waggon from each of the companies in the Auckland area attended almost every accident reported.”

All the services tried to obtain the permission of motorists to tow away damaged cars, said Mr Lake. “Such is the competitive

spirit that tow waggon drivers are said to be staging high speed races through Auckland streets.

“The department is at present processing a serious traffic breach, involving a tow waggon driver, caused by his attempt to reach the scene of a collision.”

Mr Lake said that some action was necessary to prevent the dangerous driving which was resulting from the competition.