AT INTERSECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 31 August 1928, Page 6

AT INTERSECTIONS

MOTORISTS' OBLIGATIONS Two poiats of interest to' motorists were dealt with in the Auckland. Courts this week. Tlio first arose out of an appeal from tho decision of Mr. W. R. M'Kean, S.M., who had found for the defendant in an action brought; for damages for [ alleged negligent driving of a motor-car. The case in the Magistrate's Court wad the sequel to a collision which, occurred between two cars at an intersection. The Magistrate found that neither driver saw the | other until a moment before the collision, that the defendant came out of the inteiv seeding road on his correct side, and that his* speed was not escessive. Tho plaintiff's driver admitted that he, did not" look to his left into the intersecting load, and the Magistrate found that he therefore, failed to'take.'the precaution he should.' have taken 'at van intersection, and was' guilty of contributory negligence. In dismissing the subsequent appeal, his Honour Mr. Justice Reed said it was clear that the plaintiff took no precautions against traffic from the intersecting road. The oftVside rule was an excellent one to regulate traffic, but was no defence whatsoever to negligent driving. It was the law that the negligence of a driver on a main road might be so contributory to an accident that he would not be able to recover from a driver negligently debouching from a side road. There was no variation, in the standard of caro from all traffic to avoid bringing other traffic into danger. His Honour thought, in the present case, the Magistrate was justified !in finding that tho negligence of the plaintiff's brother, who was driving his car, contributed to, if it was not, indeed, the sole cause of the collision. The second point also' dealt with the obligations of motorists at intersections, Mr. M'Kean criticising the existing bylaws which made it compulsory for a motorist to give way to traffic on liis right when approaching an intersection. "I am ! not in favour of the right-hand rule, although I suppose it does have the effect of reducing accidents," said the Magistrate. "I think it would be much better if a rule was made to give way to traffic on the left; then there would be fewer accidents: As it is now, if you place four motor-cars at each corner of an intersection not one of them can move until there has been an arrangement for one to gO." ' ;-,..;■ „■■ ,-■■,-. -,: : . „-..■