TURNING A CORNER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 7

TURNING A CORNER

PETONE PROSECUTIONS

FIVE MOTORISTS CONVICTED

The position of the traffic disc in tho centre of the intersection of Jackson and Cuba streets, Petone, which has been protested against by the Wellington Automobile Club, was yesterday the subject of much discussion in" the ■Magistrate's Court at Pctone, when five motorists were charged with cutting the Jackson-Cuba streets corner. Mr. G. Findlay, who appeared for all the defendants, said that tho Automobile Club was associated with the cases, as it' felt that the bylaw requiring cars to be driven round the centre disc was not fair to the average motorist.

.The defendants were T. Coltman, George Carter, Francis Bernard Dwyer, Eric Johnson, and Edward Johnson. All were charged, with cutting the corner, Edward Johnson under the Motor Regulations, and the others under the Petone bylaw. Only Edward Johnson appeared, and Mr. Findlay pleaded not guilty for all.

Mr. Findlay submitted that it was not reasonable to expect motorists to go .right round tho disc. The bylaw should be changed.

The Petone borough inspector, Mr. W. B. Gough, contended that that argument was untenable in the face of the fact that one of the largest of buses had no difficulty in getting round the disc at a fair speed.; '

Walter J. J. Gough,'traffic inspector's clerk, gave evidence that.Edward Johnson had cut.the corner from Cuba street south into Jackson street cast by going 18 feet inside the centre disc

It was pointed out by Mr. Findlay that assuming this figure to be correct there was still 25 feet between the ear and the kerb, in which traffic in the opposite directiou could pass.

Mr. Find Jay; "Was your object, in standing at the intersection io control traffic or to catch it?"—"We were sent there to make a note of those who didn't go round the disc."

"Your task, then, was to catch motorists and not to guide them?"— "Well, yes."

| The defendant Edward -Johnson' said ■ that he had seen the traffic inspectors! while he was still a hundred yards from the intersection. He had "6 view down all tho streets when he commenced to make the turn, and there was plenty of room for vehicles to pass him in tho opposite direction. To turn sharply round the disc he thought would be more dangerous than to take the corner easily. i H. J. Knight, who was with Johnson, j gave similar evidence. W. J. J. Gough, recalled, said that the other four defendants had turned the corner from 15 to 21 feet inside the disc, the distances including the width of the car. Mr. Findlay maintained that in each case the (urn made was not dangerous,

and was one that would have amply complied with the bylaw,,.i f. made in Wellington. Air the -defendants' were experienced and reliable drivers, who would not willingly break a reasonable bylaw, each offence being, due to lack of knowledge of local requirements.'Ho had been instructed, by some of- his clients that they had seen the traffic inspectors before making the turn. It would bo only fair to motorists if the Petone Borough Council adopted a system uniform with that of .^Wellington, otherwise unsuspecting motorists would fall into the same error in future. Mr. Findlay considered that it was the duty of the traffic inspectors to stand iv the centre of the road and guide traffic, and not to wait on the roadside for motorists to break, the law.

The Magistrate (Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M.) said lie had no doubt that in the ease "of Edward Johnson the letter of the regulations had Been-infring-ed, and in. the other eases the letter of the bylaw had'becn infringed. , It seemed to him that all the defendants must be convicted, but he would order them to pay costs only, because ho understood that the council was at present considering whether it should leave the disc in its central1 position.-or replace it by four others more in consonance with the Wellington, practice. .