Death in Chch brings holiday toll to five

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33418, 27 December 1973, Page 10

Death in Chch brings holiday toll to five

I'he death in Christchurch Hospital yesterday afternoon of a youth who was injured on Christmas Eve brought the holiday road toll to five.

The youth, who was injured when two cars collided in Humphreys Drive, Ferrymead, was MURRAY THOMPSON. of 185 A England Street, Linwood. The Ministry of Transport said that the 23-year-oid driver of a car was killed late yesterday at Kaukapakapa. near Helensville. when the car went off the road and hit a power pole. A motor-cyclist was killed and two persons in a car were injured in a head-on collision at Springs Flat, Whangarei. yesterday. No further details of either accident were available, the Press Association reports. By December 26 last year 12 persons had died on the roads, but the official holiday period had begun two days earlier, on December 22. INJURIES HALVED Serious injuries have been halved this year, dropping from 66 to 33, and the number of accidents has fallen from 249 to 206

, The Ministry of Transport , said that motorists round the , ' country were complying well ' with the new 50 miles anil i hour open road speed limit. but a “disturbing number of I’ people are speeding in 30 i miles an hour areas and i traffic officers will be watch- 1 ing for those exceeding this l< : limit." Holiday traffic so far had 1 I been light in most parts of the country and this, com-i| bined with the lower speed I limit, probably accounted for.’ the drop in accidents. BEHAVIOUR BETTER j i Road users might be i j fewer, but they were better '< behaved than last year, said . the Ministry. j Since 4 p.m. on December:, ' 24, only 106 keys have been f taken from drivers, compared with 214 last year, and breath ► ' tests have dropped from 167 to 81. The number of tickets issued for accidentpromoting offences has fallen from 2029 to 1205. and warnings from 1455 to 890. These figures presented an encouraging picture, but road users should not become

complacent. said the Ministry. A young man was admitted' Ito Christchurch Hospital I with chest and leg injuries I when the motor-cycle he was; riding and a car collided inj Marine Parade, Newi Brighton, at 6.48 p.m. yesteri day. His condition last even-j ing was reported to be com-! fortable. No-one else was hurt ini the accident. Traffic around Christchurch .was very quiet again yester-i day, though it was slightly: heavier than on Christmas' Day as daytrippers and racegoers took advantage of sunny weather. The Ministry of Transport reported that motorists’! : behaviour continued to be good.