ROAD FATALITIES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 5

ROAD FATALITIES

Fewest For 18 Years This Christmas lt.v Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, J.-immry 3. The lowest tally of road fatalities recorded ill New Zealand for IS years marked the Christ mas ami New Year holiday period. The number of deaths was nine, as compared with 15 iast year, while the average for flic preceding eight years was 29. In a statement released today. I lie Minister of Transport. Mr. Semple, complimented nloiorists on this record, which he regarded as evidence that the safely campaign, in which the majority of motorists were co-operating with the Government was laking effect. The record established this year was more noteworthy because traffic had been the heaviest known on the roads in the Dominion for many years, this being the result of the long weekends which fell at Christmas time and again at New Year. The Minister added Hull the nine fatalities involved six motor-cyclists, two pedestrians. and, in one ease, a motorist who was intoxicated. All the moior-cyele fatalities occurred in the Auckland province. Only one fatality occurred in the South Island, this being particularly unfortunate ns it involved the death of a soldier who was killed on a road near the Burnham Military Camp. This fatality was Ihe first in the South Island for a considerable time and the only one to occur in the whole Dominion for six days. Mr. Semple said that motorists in i the South Island'and also in the Wei- ' lingtou province were to be congratulated on their excellent record. This was evidence of the degree of safety that could be achieved by a full observance of the rules of file road.