PUBLIC SAFETY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 148, 20 December 1930, Page 26

PUBLIC SAFETY

SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN ; MOTORIST'S RESPONSIBILITY | ' "Preparations are being made by the [Royal Automobile Club, the police, ana ithe Education Department for a Mrst' campaign in tho Penin-j sula," stated the "Capo Times" re-1 iiently. "It is intended to help the development of 'road sense,' particularly in children, by showing how accidents can be avoided, and it is hoped to nso a cinematograph film for this

purpose. Meanwhile, Magistrates aro passing exemplary sentences oa drivers found guilty of negligence. "Tho Worcester Magistrate, Mr. J. (3. van Alphen, yesterday sentenced a European motorist to seven days' imprisonment without hard labour,- and a £10 fine, and suspended his driver's licence for 12 months, for injuring a person by negligent driving. Mr. van Alphen uttered a warning that ho would- send careless motorists brought before him to gaol for six months. In Capo Town a coloured bus driver was fined £25 for knocking down a man in Victoria road, "Woodstock." The prograinmo for the Safety Week included lectures to school children, organised by the police, and a short broadcast talk each evening. The warning uttered by Mr. van Alphen was as follows: "I warn the motoring public afc Worcester that the

next motorists charged before me with; negligent driving will go to gaol for six months. The "number of aceidents, many ending fatally, is becoming alarm- j ing. The pedestrian has no more safety I in the streets. Tho infliction of fines seems to be no deterrent to the negligent motorist, and the accused i i this case can be thankful that I consider that he did exercise some caution. So far the Courts soem to be chary of sentencing motorists severely, and give him another chance. I warn motorists at Worcester that there is far too much fast driving in tho town." Giving evidence, Police-Sergeant .T.

Gr. du Preez said tho tracks showed that the motor-car had swerved from the extreme left to tlie extreme right oi! the road, which was 48 feet wide, and stopped against an iron raihvuy post, breaking it completely from its concrete- foundations. The brakes had been applied for about 75 feet. Elizabeth Pesontz said she saw the niotor-car approaching rapidly, swinging from side to side. Mrs. Vcrmeulcn, who was on the extreme left of tho road, was caught by the left mudguard, carried along, aild then thrown off into tlio road as tho. motor-car swerved to tho right. Edward Colyn said the niotor-cai' was travelling between 45 to 50 miles an hour, and swerved towards, the left, where Mrs. Vermoulen and a girl were walking, and hit her. Tho hooter was not sounded. He only heard the brakes screaming a few yards from where the motor-car hit the pole. Tho defendant,' giving evidence, said there was no side-walk on the road. His motor-car was travelling in tho left centre of the road at 25 miles an hour when he saw the woman and child about 70 yards away. Ho hooted, and as they appeared to be crossing the road to his right, he swerved to the left. He slackened down, and when ho was 20 yards away ho hooted again. Tho woman looked up for tho first time, lost her head, and ran back towards his left.

Ho swerved his motor-car at rightangles across the road, unfortunately hitting tho woman. At'tho time of swerving he was travelling at 10 to 15 miles an hour. . "Police-Sergeant lfenton: 'And going at that speed it took you 43 feet to pull up, and then only after knocking down a concreted iron standard and denting your radiator? 5 " Tho other case mentioned was one in whieh a bus-driver, finding his way past a tram blocked by a car in front of him, tools the other side of the train to pass, and killed a man running across

from the other side of tho street. "Autos" makes no apology for printing these cases. Tho world is tho sanic, and tho reports such as might easily como out of our own police courts. The*man in charge of a motor is in chargo of a highly dangerous weapon, and it is only right that he should be brought to realise this and bo ■alert to his responsibility for tho safety of tho public. There is a tendency these days to throw equal responsibility on all street users, pedestrians and motorist alike; it sounds logical, but actually it is not, and public safety, in tho main, rests with tho motordriver. If a man takes tho responsibility of being in chargo of a motor he must mako that his sole occupation for the time being, .and give thought to no other thing than tho matter in hand, tho driving of tho vehicle. It is a moral as well aa a legal duty. No power on earth will ever make tho pedestrian conscious only of tho fact that ho is walking along tho street, and conscious only of the movement about him. The two things aro not parallel—despite the motorist's opinion that they are. Th pedestrian will always suffer from lapses of traffic consciousness; he cannot hurt anything if he does, and generally will endanger only himself. Any lapse on the part of a motorist, howover, involves death to other people, and he cannot be permitted to lapse, any more than can a tram-driver or tha driver of a, train. No. pedestrian is licensed to walk, but every motorist is licensed to drive, and that licence carries with it an implied certificate of competency, and consequently safety to others.