Motor Accidents

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 259, 28 July 1932, Page 11

Motor Accidents

Sir, —Following up your timely SeatMl of Monday last, may I be permitted to give an instance of personal experience? I had occasion a short while ago to h® on. the main road in the country after dark: when upon crossing the single car bridge at Waikariae a powerful single light was approaching from the opposite direction, and which I judged to be a motor-cycle, and not being so agile as I was well over sixty years ago, I gave the oncoming light as wide a berth as the bridge railings would permit, when I was considerably startled to find my right coat sleeve slightly grazed, by what proved, to be the off mudguard of an on-coming motor-car,' travelling over.the bridge at si good speed, and with one light “only,” and whose outline was absolutely invisible until it had shaved my arm and passed by. Further on two other cars with one light each “only” also passed, much to the danger of pedestrians. A short while ago a local resident was killed by a car striking him. close to the bank, on a narrow part of the road within a hundred yards of the same bridge. To minimise accidents I would suggest to the powers that be that all one car, and for that matter all bridges, should be provided with a special footway for at least the protection of children, dogs. etc. A comparatively simple and not very costly arrangement technically known to engineers as a "trottoir” or projecting footway* should at least be provided on one car bridges, and would make work for unemployed carpenters, etc.. ’ It seems an'-ex-traordinary state of affairs, that the country’s highways should be practically handed over to the . monopoly of' but oneseventh of the population and the other six-seventh or 86 per cent, of the total should submit so quietly to the extreme.y scant consideration that has been given to the rights, safety, and protection of pedestrians, horsemen, children, dogs, and other users of the public roads. Not only on the bridges should proper provision be made, but also at all cuttings and narrow parts. In fact, footways, with a safety concrete kerb should be provided throughout all main roads of the country, making work for the unemployed, and it would show some tangible return for the unemployment tax.—l am, etc., ENGINEER Waikanae, July 22.