A TIMELY TIGHTENING-UP

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 45, 17 November 1941, Page 6

A TIMELY TIGHTENING-UP

The Wellington City Council’s decision to prosecute pedestrians who disregard traffic regulations is to be commended. In the past 'the Traffic Department has endeavoured to maintain pedestrian discipline, and educate the public up to modern, safety standards, laigely by appealing to offenders and administering verbal reproofs. Prosecutions have been few, and only for flagrant cases. But the position today shows plainly that lenient methods will not do. Day and night the regulations are honoured much more in the breach than , the observance —a state of affairs which has become more dangerous since the introduction of lighting restrictions. Emphasis is given to the need for greater care and vigilance, and for stricter supervision, by the Dominion traffic accidents for last month as published by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Semple.. It was the worst October on the official available records, and with a total of seven fatalities, pedestrians headed the list. The Wellington figures are the highest in New Zealand. Two main trends are evidenced in the figures (said the Minister). The first is the increase in fatalities of all types and the second is the growing number of pedestrians killed, especially in blackout areas during blackout hours. No fewer than four pedestrians were killed during blackout hours in towns with restricted lighting.

Even if Wellington’s present and future traffic problems were normal ones the go-as-you-please habits of pedestrians would require correction, for the volume of traffic of all kinds tends steadily to increase with the growth of population, dhe Council s move, however, is particularly timely in view of the urgent need for the community to become proficient in blacking out and (at the same time) carrying on essential activities. Such proficiency, so far as traffic is concerned, must be based orydiscipline. Bad habits of jay-walking, unless checked, are likely to be practised on occasions when tragedy would be difficult to avert. • . Unfortunately the new discipline appears to stop short of . insisting upon pedestrians wearing white at night, in accordance with the appeals made by the national authorities. But the instilling of obedience to regulations concerning movement will be a beginning, and if supervision is strict in the first few weeks an early improvement should be noticed. At the same time the Council should not overlook its responsibility for the provision of an adequate number of pedestrian crossings. Many citizens will agree with Councillor Luckie S opinion that certain crossings, in some of the principal streets, are too far apart. If the public is to be compelled by threat of penalty to keep off the roadway except at authorized crossings, then the paths of obedience should be made as convenient as possible.