She says...

Press, 28 October 1977, Page 8

She says...

Several weeks ago we had a city traffic “blitz” on the observance of traffic lights, rushing through appear to have much effect at the time, and as far as I can see, Christchurch motorists are just as bad as ever when it comes to behaviour at intersections.

The problem of motorists trying to “beat” traffic lights, rushing through junctions on the late orange, and even going through red lights, is serious, but it is only part of the Christchurch" problem. It reminds me of a remark once attributed to a traffic engineer: lights were not intended to make an intersection safer, he said they existed only to ration out the time among the various streams of traffic. The moral, he said, was never to assume the way was clear even if you did have a green light. But motorists in Christchurch are not only careless about traffic lights, they are also very carejess about the ..use , of lanes at interections, apd in .particular 'about .’’..the ntftvmandatory use' df signals'. It is rare tp see anyone signal a left turn — as they" are now required to by law —- and it is far

from rare to see them fail to signal a right turn. The result is more risk and more delay for everyone. Part, of the problem. I suspect, is that traffic in Christchurch is not generally heavy enough to enforce good behaviour. Our drivers have a selfish and unforgiving attitude to others, too, which results at least partly from the same cause. The “Do unto others . . , rule has yet to make any impression. Driving on Auckland motorways and byways recently, I was most impressed with the general driving behaviour compared with Christchurch. Motorway lane discipline and signalling was a long way ahead of anything one can expect to see in this part of the world. General courtesy was also markedly better.

1 have heard shaken visitors to Christchurch say that they think our drivers must be about the worst in the country. I am beginning to suspect that they are. right. But 'why, I wonder? Lick of education? Lack of enforcement? Bad engineering? Or is (the “me first” attitude all that much stronger-Tn the Garden City? —Barbara Petre