Chch motorists told to ‘bow heads in shame’

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 5

Chch motorists told to ‘bow heads in shame’

Christchurch motorists should “bow their heads in shame” after a week-end marred by a succession of road accidents, said a Ministry of Transport spokesman yesterday. There were 43 accidents in the Christchurch area between 4 p.m. on Friday and 9 p.m. yesterday, including the death of a Christchurch woman, aged 19, and 18 injury accidents. Another woman, aged 20, was in a serious condition in the Christchuch Hospital in-tensive-care unit late last evening, having undergone surgery for multiple skull fractures.

The woman was knocked off her bicycle by a car at the intersection of Woodham Road and Carnarvon Street, Avonside, soon after 10 a.m. yesterday. Two male motor-cyclists, one aged 16 and the other aged 20, both suffered moderate to serious leg injuries in separate collisions with cars yesterday.

A woman suffered moderate to serious abdominal injuries after a car she was driving hit a power pole on the Main North Road at 5.14 a.m.

On Friday, a woman,

aged 29, suffered moderate chest injuries after two cars collided at the intersection of Somerfield Street and Selwyn Street.

A woman suffered moderate head injuries after a Eedestrian and a cyclist colded outside Merivale Mall, on Papanui Road, on Saturday.

A motor-cyclist suffered moderate head injuries after sliding off his machine on to the road in Milton Street, Sydenham.

A man suffered moderate facial injuries after two cars collided at the junction of Shakespeare Road and Waltham Road on Saturday. Other injuries suffered in accidents over the week-end were minor.

Senior-Sergeant S. G. Burt, of the Ministry of Transport, said the spate of accidents was a “shocking example of bad driving.” Light rain on Saturday was no excuse for inattention, he said.

“If people are adult enough to be driving cars they should be driving for the conditions. I am not going to blame wet roads for the accidents.”

Many drivers appeared to be impatient and inatten-

tive, he said.

Red-light crashers and “amber-gamblers” were not taking enough care at intersections.

Although there had been other week-ends with as many accidents, this weekend was “exceptionally high.” It was an “average” week-end for drink-driving offences, said SeniorSergeant Burt. Six people were arrested for such offences, including two from checkpoints. Ambulances were required for two non-vehicle accidents on Sunday. A woman, aged 19, suffered moderate to serious skull fractures after falling from her horse on to the road at the intersection of Mill Road and Mcßoberts Road, Ohoka. She was taken to Christchurch Hospital at 2.45 p.m. A forward in the Ashley Football Club’s senior reserve team was taken by ambulance to Christchurch Hospital with suspected spinal injuries suffered during a match at Loburn yesterday. The player, Dean Rule, was treated for neck injuries and discharged last evening.