DRIVERS' DOUBLE SIN

Evening Post, Issue 2, 2 July 1932, Page 10

DRIVERS' DOUBLE SIN

When motor'vehicleg stop'in crowded narrow'streets, they t sometimes draw up,: very close to the i-kerb—in many cases they have to. As'" the vehicle cpmes to a halt on the kerb with tho sides of the wheels brushing the pavement, the upper structure of tho vehicle generally invades the area of the footpath, and its opened door certainly does. "Yet (writes "Pedestrian") nine motorists out-of ten fling open their*car doors or cab doors without ceremony, taking no heed if they strike, people walking on the footpath. Sometimes a lorry with" a projecting side-load parallels tho kerb, and as it draws up, tho end of the load strikes people on the footpath. Is it not time that motorists and drivers, if they aro to bo allowed to occupy footpath space were at least taught manners?" ' "Pro Bono Publico" complains that when vehicles come to a halt their drivers often do tho reverse of the flbove—they open the door and get out "on the traffic side instead of on the footpath side. This is dangerous to passing * wheeled' traffic. "On many occasions I have narrowly averted an accident through this dangerous practice. On one occasion. I was forced to stop' dead^ '■ suddenly,- aha, had 'there been other vehicles following me at the time, the result can bo more easily imagined than described. To-day mv boy was riding a bicycle in Cuba street and without any warning the door of a taxi, was suddenly thrown open into the street just as he was passing knocking him over. A badly bruised elbow is the result. It might have been worse had other traffic been, passina^