Road toll down on last year

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 1

Road toll down on last year

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 18. The Easter road toll stood at six tonight, compared with 10 at the corresponding time last year. According to Chief Traffic Superintendent D. F. Ross, traffic throughout the country has been generally well behaved, though there was still a problem with speed. This was reflected in the fact that though the number of accidents was down from 249 last Easter to 219, there had been a marked increase in the number of accidents causing serious injuries. So far 71 persons had suffered serious injuries, compared with 54 last year. “The incidence of drivers detected driving after having consumed too much alcohol has also increased this Easter,” said Mr Ross. “I urge motorists to keep their speeds down when returning home tomorrow and to ensure that they do not drink before driving. This way the holiday period should end with a lower r.oad toll,” Mr Ross said. Hit by car A pedestrian was killed when hit by a car in Ormond Road, Gisborne, at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. He was Kipa Hura Hura Nikora, aged 73, a widower, of Manutuke. Passenger killed A man was killed in a collision between tw.o cars at Tokomaru, near Palmerston North, at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. He was Neil Francis Rush, aged 25, of Wanganui. Mr Rush was a passenger in one of the cars. r The driver of the other car, Alan Ewer, of Hamilton, is in Palmerston North Hospital with internal injuries. His son, who was a passenger, was not injured. Died in hospital A pedestrian suffered fatal injuries when he was hit by a motor-cycle on the corner of Victoria Road and Plunket Street, Dunedin, after the Forbury Park trotting meeting at 10.50 pun. on Saturday. He was John Cornelius Bisset, aged 87, of Eddystone Street, Kaitangata. The motor-cycle was rid-

den by Barry McHoull, aged 21, of Rugby Street, Dunedin. Mr Bisset died in hospital today. Vehicle rolls A man was killed when his car rolled over on the East Coast Bays Road towards Redvale, 29km north-east of Auckland, about 8.30 p.m. on Friday. He was Peter Roger White, aged 30, of Whangapararoa, a landscape gardener, the father of three. Mr White was thrown from his car.