Road-Users’ Behaviour

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32395, 7 September 1970, Page 8

Road-Users’ Behaviour

Road-users’ behaviour ai Intersections will be the subject of a New Zealandwide road safety campaign from September 7 to September IX Almost 40 per cent of New Zealand road accidents occur at intersections. Last year, 7224 persons were killed or injured in intersection accidents.

Traffic officers would pay particular attention to behaviour at intersections in Christchurch City. Even slight misdemeanours would resui in motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians being spoken to by traffic officers, said the Christchurch city traffic superintendent (Mr J. F. Thomas) Christchurch had more intersections than any other New Zealand city of comparable size, and had many intersection accidents, Mr Thomas said.

The Ministry of Transport appealed to motorists, in particular, to drive defensively at intersections, and not to assume that because they had the right of way it would be automatically accorded them, he said. Pedestrians should use crossings, and where there were no crossings should take care to make sure the way was clear before they started across the road.

Cyclists must remember fat road rules applied just as much to them as to motorists.

Motorists should particularly watch their speed on the approach to and at intersections: . most intersection accidents really started about 40 yards before the intersection, because a motorist approached too fast, Mr Thomas said.

The Ministry would continue rigidly to enforce the rules at traffic lights, and then would be no hesitation (in taking action against any

road-user who went against them.

Intersections on the open road would also be watched closely, said the Ministry's district traffic superintendent (Mr A. I. Garriock). Drivers needed to take much more care in judging the speed of other traffic when moving on to a main road, he said. They should never move out in such a way that other traffic had to avoid them. “If you only think you have time, stay where you are. You must be sure,” he said.

Mr Garriock also warned motorists to obey lane markings, and to take extreme care if they had to change lanes, checking their rear-vision mirrors and giving a signal well in advance.

Signals should be given about 100 ft before an intersection in a 30 m.p.h. area, and 100 yd before an intersection in an open-road area, he said.

He also reminded drivers that when turning right, other than in a 30 m.p.h. area or where lanes were marked, they should pull off the road to the left if they could not turn immediately, and not stop, waiting, in the middle of the road.

Stop signs would also be watched closely, Mr Garriock said. Many motorists thought they had stopped when they really had not—a complete wheel stop was required. Then the motorist should not proceed until the way was clear.

Approaching an intersection, a motorist should check his mirror, signal if necessary, and be prepared to stop, Mr Garriock said. After making any turn, drivers should make sure their direction indicators had cancelled, so that other traffic would not be confused.

Ministry of Transport statistics give failure to give way as the prime cause of inter-

section accidents last year. It was the cause of 1566 accidents. Failure to comply with traffic signals caused 687 accidents, excessive speed 248, and inattention, 230. Most of the intersection accidents occurred at speeds between 20 m.p.h. and 40 m.p.h. The worst time for intersection accidents involving liquor was, predictably, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Less expected, most of the drivers involved in intersection accidents were those with 20 years driving experience or more. Those with 10 to 20 years experience were the next-biggest category. Both categories contained a comparatively high proportion of “professional" drivers such as bus, taxi, and truck drivers.