MOTORDOM

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 15

MOTORDOM

by

Chassis

CALLOUS INDIFFERENCE ON HILL ROADS Some Motorists Who Disregard Safety Rules

In a city such as Wellington, twisty, steep, and many of them n. faced, it is an extraordinary circ blatantly careless not only in e methods employed in halting or vehicles. This carelessness has r ccrted action should be taken.

which has so many hill roads, arrow and not extremely well surumstance that so many drivers arc utting corners, but also in the parking cars and other motor cached the stage when some con-

Anyone who does any considerable travelling on our hill roads not only by day, but by night, must be impressed by the fact that' a very large number of car-owners have very little conception of what ordinary road safety demands. Carelessness, and a complete disregard for even the elementary rules of proper road usage, have become a habit. If an offender is spoken to by another motorist about such carelessness he will invariably express surprise that he has done anything which he ought not to do. Not very long ago a resident of one hill road was concerned about an unlighted vehicle which was left continually on a dangerous bend of the road. The owner of the ear, a woman, was astonished when approached. “Really,” she said. “I must see that the lights are left, on in future.” The fact that the car. even lighted, was a danger on a corner was of no importance. She did not. know any better. Motorists leave their cars right on corners with a front wheel anchored in the channelling so that the tail abuts on the road. Trucks and cars are to be seen on the hill roads; the vehicles are standing nnlighted and as if to make them more conspicuous they are left in dangerous positions. Fortunately. Wel-

lington hill roads are not made more dangerous by fog.

Whether a vehicle is lighted or not, it should not be left parked on or near a corner, or in such a position that it will cause danger for other road users. This disregard of safely rules is not. confined to the private vehicle owner. On a certain hill road corner the other day a municipal refuse cart and a delivery van were halted right across a comer so that the passenger bus had to swing wide out to get round. Van and cart driver were having a talk, and the bus driver, instead of stopping and reminding the other two of the danger they were creating, simply wont on his way. At the corner of Rum Street. Karori, the passenger bus driver halts regularly right across a tricky corner on his way up to Messines Road. The procedure is extremely dangerous, and the bus drivers, if they do not. know any better, should be told that they should stop before reaching the corner. The other evening six cars wore held up behind the bus. which was halted across the corner concerned. It, is about time the inspectors carried out nightly visits around the hill roads of the city and cheeked up on scores of drivers who are treating road safety with callous indifference.