ROADSIDE HOARDINGS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 7

ROADSIDE HOARDINGS

DANGER TO DRIVERS MAELBOROUGII CRITICISM A serious view was taken by members of the Marlborough Automobile Association at a recent meeting of the fresh epidemic of roadside hoardings, their criticism being more directly levelled at firms supplying motoring requisites. Tho president (Mr. E. P. Furness) recalled that a few years ago tho petrol and tire firms acceded to the representations of the North and South Is- | land Motor Unions and agreed to desist ! from advertising their wares along the roadsides. They had honoured the arrangement for a while, but now it was apparent that the campaign of advertising on hoardings was in full j swing again. Apart from the defacement of rural scenery, many signs, in ! both town and country, constituted a ; genuine menace to the safety of the roads, and.some steps should be taken, to again check the nuisance. ! Mr. L. C. Chaytor said ho thought the firms would get far better results if they confined their poster advertising to the interiors of garages, where motorists would'take'proper notice of them. ■ , After , some further discussion, Mr. Furness moved that the South Island Motor Union be reminded of the undertaking given by the firms to discontinue roadside advertising, and advised that, as far as the experience of the association went, all the firms were again using hoardings, and urge that the previous representations be renewed. ATTENTION DISTRACTED. Dr. "W. E. Eedman: "I would like you to add that the signs should be removed on the ground that they disSgure the landscape and distract the attention of drivers." j The president agreed to the addition, and Mr. C. P. Gainsford seconded the motion, which was adopted. Mr. Furness quoted the following irn portant passage from an article in the current number of the New Zealand Motor Owner, by Mr. A. Tyndall, the Main Highways engineer:— Large hoardings are often erected at curves on the roadway. The curves are chosen because the sign can be provided with' two effective faces, one showing in each direction. Unfortunately, the signs are usually placed on the inside of the curve,,and thus obscure the view^in both directions. Accidents have been known to occur due to such view obstruction, and the time is rapidly approaching in.New Zealand when the public will call for control of such signs, although situated [on private property. Most of the States in the United States now have legal control of erection of such, signs for quite a distance inside private property from the road boundary. v ."I think the South Island Motor Union might promote legislation in that direction," remarked Dr. Redman. "I think it would be a good idea. The trouble, however, is that the State is one of the worst offenders." The president: "The worst. The others mostly are amenable to reason, but you can't get any reason out of the State."