MOTOR SPEED

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 63, 16 March 1933, Page 12

MOTOR SPEED

ON GRAVEL ROADS

FORTY MILE LIMIT

UNLESS EXEMPTED

As a result of a conference held in Wellington this week, between representatives, of the North and South Island Motor Unions and county councils, and the Minister of Transport (the Et. Hon. J. G. Coates) and the Transport Department, the recently gazetted speed limit of 40 miles an hour on gravel roads will be put into operation on all gravel roads with the exception of certain main arterial roads, which will be specially exempted after agreement between the Main Highways Board and the county councils.'

The speed limit will apply only to gravel roads (unless specially exempted), whereas permanently surfaced concrete roads, tar or bitumen, roads, and, if the Minister agrees, pumice and clay roads will remain under the present regulations where the only consideration for the motorist is the safety of the public. In these cases the onus is placed on the motorist, to prove that he is not driving to common danger, if prosecuted for negligence, when travelling at a speed of greater than 35 miles an hour on the open road or 25 miles in boroughs or cities. The speed limit of 40~ miles an hour on gravel .roads was recently gazetted, but was not put into operation pending the conference^ The representatives of the automobile associations emphasised at the conference that 'they regarded the speed limit not as a safety measure, but for the preservation of the roads. They strongly opposed specific limits on principle, preferring that the safety of the road be governed by the Act, which placed the onus on the driver to show that he was not driving in a manner which constituted a public danger. As taxation paid by motorists had now been diverted to other channels, leaving little money for maintenance, the necessity for speed restrictions in various- county councils had been stressed and application made to the Minister of Transport for authority to impose them. The Minister stated that he felt it was better to have one universal limit rather than various restrictions in different counties. The delegates of the motor associations, while's still opposing the principle of speed limits, agreed to assist the county councils in . their difficulty by temporarily withdrawing their opposition to the 40-mile limit provided certain main . arterial roads were exempted, these to be decided by the Minister after consultation'between the Main Highways Board and/the local authority concerned. They made it a condition that their opposition was withdrawn on the distinct understanding that the 40-mile limit be regarded as a temporary measure until such time as the funds of the Main Highways Board were restored for normal distribution on the roads.

The Conference also recommended that the Minister of Transport provide authority to control absolutely, the bylaws relating to motor traffic and that no such bylaws be effective until approved by the Minister. It was agreed, too, that all existing bylaws, passed under the motor regulations, should be immediately reviewed.

Messrs. W. A. O'Callaghau,: "W. G. ■\Valkley, E. E. Champtaloup, and ~W. A. Sutherland represented the North Island- Motor Union, Messrs. TP. W. Johnson and "W. R. Carey, the South Island Motor Union, Messrs. Mair, Monk, McKenzie, and Bullivant, the county councils, and Mr. Baker, the Public Works Department.