GROWING DANGER

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 14, 11 October 1927, Page 8

GROWING DANGER

SCHOOL CHILDREN AND MOTOR TRAFFIC

ACCIDENT INSURANCE PROPOSAL

In view of the increasing dangers to school children owing to the great growth of motor traffic, the executive of the Wellington School Committees’ Association recently suggested to the Education Department and <he Education Board that efforts should be made to inaugurate a scheme of accident insurance for Scholars. In a report presented to the meeting of the association last night, the executive stated that it fully recognised the great amount of work necessary to work out such a scheme, and the financial considerations involved, but it considered that if provision was included in motor traffic legislation to make it compulsory for motorists to take out a third party risk policy of insurance, the scheme could be given effect to. The report stated that the compensation to be paid to parents under the scheme would be purely medical expenses, and not special damages, which could be sued for in a Civil Court. A further scheme would be necessary to- compensate for medical attention for other than motor accidents, and also for accidents while at school which were not caused by the negligence of the Education Board or its staff. The Education Board had informed the executive that the matter was receiving attention, and the Minister of Education stated that the association’s suggestions had been noted, and would receive careful consideration. The report was adopted.