ROAD ACCIDENTS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 12, 9 October 1939, Page 6

ROAD ACCIDENTS

Palmerston’s Unfortunate

Record

appeal by the mayor

Dominion Special Service.

PALMERSTON N., October 7.

Making an appeal to all users of the roads to exercise the fullest safety measures, the mayor of Palmerston North, Mr. Mansford, said as a result of statistics taken out by the Transport Department the city had gained an unenviable reputation for road accidents. Mr. Mansford made his appeal in connexion with the safety educational period to be conducted by officers of the Transport Department in Palmerston North next week. “I realize that Palmerston North has its special problem because of the number of railway level crossings in the city area,” said Mr. Mansford, “but that does not explain the majority of the accidents, particularly as the city is the proud possessor of beautiful wide roads.” 'ihe ures taken out by the department were both startling and serious, he said and they should give room for reflection by all citizens, who might ask themselves if they wanted Palmerston North to continue with an unenviable record. If they did not it was their duty and his to cooperate with the officials and resolve that, because of the layout of the city, with ns wide straight roads, they would have the fewest accidents a 1000 of population. _ “A comparison of the number of accidents and casualties in Palmerston North during the two-year period ended March 31, 1939, with those of the six other largest centres outside of the four chief city areas shows that Palmerston North was an easy first with 168 accidents, the next nearest total being 143,” said Mr. Mansford. , “Palmerston North has a worse record for accidents and casualties resulting from road accidents than the other cities and boroughs like Wanganui, Invercargill, Lower Hutt, Timaru, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Napier, Gisborne, Hastings, Nelson and Petone. Four of the nine deaths recorded in Palmerston North were due to collisions with trains at railway level crossings. Most of the accidents re-ported—-82 out of 179—were due to collisions between a motor-vehicle and a cyclist. The majority of these, in fact, 58 of the 82 (over 70 per cent.), occurred during daylight hours. The most frequent hours were from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and also again from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. There were very few accidents on Sundays. Nearly half of the cyclists (39 of the 82) were involved in accidents, at street intersections, and 23 of the cyclists injured were under 15 years of age. “Of the 82 accidents 32 were attributed in the main to the motorist and 48 to the cyclist. The most frequent faults on the part of the motorist were 11 instances of careless or inattentive driving and eight o_f failure to yield the right of way. The most frequent faults committed by the cyclists were 17 instances of careless or inattentive riding, seven of failure to yield the right of way, six of failure to keep to the correct side, andfive of failure to signal properly. Collisions at Intersections. “Two-thirds of the 31 accidents . between motor vehicles and pedestrians occurred after dark and 11 of them happened on Saturday,” added the mayor. “The pedestrian was mainly responsible for 19 of the accidents, the chief faults being the crossing of roadways heedless of traffic, and emerging from behind a parked vehicle. There were 53 collisions between motor vehicles, and over 60 per cent, of these occurred at intersections, the predominant cause being failure to give way. Saturday was the worst accident day of the week. Intersections most frequently the location of accidents were Princess ’ Street-Broadway, Heretaunga Street-Featherston Street, Rangitikei Street-The Square, and Fitzherbert Avenue-Ferguson Street. “It is quite evident from this,” concluded the mayor, “that a very large number of these accidents could have been avoided, as they arose from carelessness.

The Transport Department has lent us two of its inspectors, who are co-operat-ing with the city traffic officers in an effort to improve the position. They will keep intersections under observation. Motorists and others have nothing to fear as long as they comply witli the rules of the road, ns the inspectors will be there in purely a co-operative spirit. The number of accidents and loss of life in this city must be reduced, and I ask for the full support of citizens in carrying this into effect and maintaining our good .name.”