Motorists’ behaviour deteriorates

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 16

Motorists’ behaviour deteriorates

A slight deterioration in most aspects of motorists’ behaviour, compared w’ith earlier in the Ministry of Transport’s traffic blitz in Christchurch, has shown up in the final week.

The only phase which has shown continued improvement has been in the behaviour of pedestrians at light-controlled intersections. Traffic officers have noticed that speeds seem to have risen again in the third week of the campaign, and their reports have been verified by the department’s traffic engineers in checks on Papanui Road, Ferry Road,

Pages Road, and Linwood Avenue. Speeds in a 30 m.p.h. zone on Papanui Road are higher now than they were before the blitz, while a higher percentage of motorists are exceeding the speed limit. Average speeds on Pages and Ferry Roads, both 30 m.p.h. zones, are lower than before the blitz, but are rising again. Slightly fewer motorists on these roads are exceeding the speed limit. The same situation applies in the 40 m.p.h. area of Linwood Avenue, although in this case the average speed is below the limit, and the percentages exceeding the speed limit are much lower. One of the three stop-sign studies shows motorists’ behaviour to be worse before the campaign. The latest study shows that 51.4 per cent of motorists did not come to a complete stop at a compulsory stop sign. The other two stop-sign studies showed an improvement on pre-blitz behaviour but with a deterioration in the last two weeks. Most drivers and passengers of pre-1965 cars are wearing seat belts but not quite as many as just after the start of the blitz. Generally, the general behaviour of Christchurch motorists was better in the second week of the safety campaign than at any other time. Traffic officers took no breath tests on Monday—the first clear day since the blitz started on October 18. Pedestrians' behaviour at light-controlled intersections showed a steady improvement on all three surveys, but traffic officers are concerned about persons who jay-walk within 60ft of traffic lights. The first of the three behaviour studies by departmental officers and engineers was carried out before the campaign began, the second at the end of the second week, and the third in the last few days. A fourth will be made next month in an effort to assess the residual result of the month-long campaign. The blitz will end at midinight today.