One death is Easter toll in Christchurch

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34133, 21 April 1976, Page 14

One death is Easter toll in Christchurch

The death of a woman in Christchurch Hospital yesterday was the sole Canterbury road fatality during the Easter holiday. She was

DAPHNE ETHEL MOORHEAD, aged 35, of 1094 Avonside Drive, Christchurch.

She had suffered severe head injuries in a three-car collision near Woodend on Sunday afternoon. Fifty-three accidents occurred in the CanterburyWest Coast region during the Easter period, of which 24 were serious and 17 minor. Of these 39 occurred in Christchurch, 16 being serious and 10 minor. Twenty-six drivers were given breath tesij, and 39 had their keys confiscated. More than 1400 drivers were issued with trafficoffence notices in the larger area. Of these, 1151 were issued in urban Christchurch. Exceeding the speed limit was the most prevalent offence, according to the Ministry’s chief traffic officer for Christchurch (Mr I. W. McLaughlan). Commenting on the fact that the number of fatalities throughout the country was i lower this year than last. Mr McLaughlan said that there appeared to be a changing attitude to road safety. “It is through public co-operation that we achieve any change in accident rates,” he said. The chief rural traffic

officer (Mr E. Dunlop), said that 256 offence notices had been issued in the Canterbury-West Coast r.rea, excluding Christchurch. Accidents were fewer than last year, “no thanks to some people,” he said. “There are still a lot of people who are convinced of their own immortality, and this shows in their driving.” Traffic had been considerably heavier than expected on Canterbury roads, he said, especially on the Main North Road. “Obviously the economic situation has had no real impact on the motorist, judging by the amount of traffic seen during the Easter period.” He did not think there had been any decline in the amount of traffic at long week-ends. Accurate figures would not be available for some time, but he estimated that there had been about 900 south-bound vehicles an hour on the Main North Road during Monday afternoon and evening. He said that this was the maximum capacity of that road. Traffic on the Main South Road was not so heavy.