Care urged on drivers

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 12

Care urged on drivers

The Ministry of Transport has urged motorists to use extra care on the roads at Easter. Traffic officers will '-e watching for faulty overtaking and for drivers following too close to the vehicle ahead, according to the ministry’s regional traffic superintendent (Mr A. J. Garriock). “ ‘Tailgating’ was particularly dangerous, ns m the event of one driver having to brake suddenly, there could be a series of collisions in a line of cars,” Mr Garnock said. “The rule of one carlength for every 10 miles per hoi r of speed ’; as valid now as it ever was,” he said. Mr Garriock also urged drivers to use care and common sense. “Last year, we were fortunate enough to have no fatal accident in Canterbury during Easter, and we hope this can be repeated,” he said. Motorists were also asked

to keep to the left, and to allow faster cars to use the inside lane when driving on motorways. Mr Garriock emphasised the danger of not checking that headlight beams are throwing correctly if a heavy trailer or carava is being towed. There was also a risk in not ensuring that caravans were properly loaded. The campaign against drinking and driving which began in 1974 is being continued this year, and will be rigorously enforced during thp holiday period. The city traffic superintendent (Mr A. Goldsmith) said that Easter was generally quieter in Christchurch than on the highways — except Thursday evening the last opportunity for shopping before the four-day break. “We ask people not to double-park or to park obstructing pedestrian crossings,” he said. Mr Goldsmith asked that allowance be made for visitors to Christchurch who might not be familiar with the one-way street system, or other traffic patterns.