TOLL OF THE MOTOR

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1933, Page 12

TOLL OF THE MOTOR

WHOSE THE FAULT?

WARNING FROM ENGLAND

SCANT INQUIRY HERE

In recent cabled news from London there appeared sharp comment from Sir Hugh Trenchard, Commissioner of Police, that private cars are being driven less carefully and skilfully with consequent needless loss of life and injury. The toll of casualties at Home lie described as terrible—33B killed and 15,676 injured in London in the first six mouths of this year. The Commissioner also warned pedestrians that they must take greater care. It will be some time before more detailed figures for this period are received in' New Zealand, but figures for the six months ended December 31 are available in very considerable detail. In England, in American States, and in European countries the compilation, and analysis of accident statistics are carried out in a much more detailed way than in this country, on the basis that only by such analysis can the causes of so terrible a death, and accident rate be. determined and the risks reduced. AN ENGLISH ANALYSIS. The National Safety First Association's summary of the 3129 deaths which followed from motoring accidents on the roads of England and Wales from July 1 to December 31 last year shows that only one quarter of the fatal accidents occurred in open country; while the most fatal hours in practically every month were those after dark, or in that very dangerous period, so dreaded by all motorists, "between the lights." In summer 17.6 per cent, of the fatal accidents occurred after dark; in September the figure had risen to 30.5 per cent.; in October it was 42 per cent.; and by December it had.gone up to 54.46 per cent. It is to be noted that "dazzle" lights, or, at the other extreme, ineffective lighting, were most frequently reported as the contributory cause of night accidents. No fewer than 621 fatal accidents occurred at road junctions, and 279 on bends. It is significant that 89 per cent, of all accidents occurred when there was no very considerable volume of traffic about. Very terrible is the vast number of fatal motor-cycle accidents, which, tends to keep down the average age of'motorists killed to between 20 and 24 years. In 1344 fatal accidents in which the manner of driving or riding was.deemed the chief contributory cause, the percentage of female drivers ofScars was 4.65. Other points established by the. analysis were that at Home Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week (average 23 deaths), then Friday (18), other week days (16), and Sunday, the safest (14); tho mid-winter week preceding Christmas Day was the worst week (20 per day), but the Bank Holiday week, August, was : little better (19 per day). CHIEF CAUSES. The analysis of the mass of information collected showed that chief causes of street accidents were:— Adults. —Walking across road, 27 per cent.; dodging, 13.8 per cent.; stepping off footpath, unexpectedly, 12 per cent.; coming from behind or in front of stationary vehicles, 9.75 per cent. Children. —Buiining on to road (as after ball), 28.5 per cent.; running across road, 21 pnr cent.; coming from behind or in front of stationary vehicles, .17 per cent.; playing games on street and stepping off footpath, 5.9 per cent. Dangerous ages for pedestrians are 65 to 74 years (proportion of females to males killed ,is 1 to 2), and for children from 5 to 9 years (proportion of girls to boys is 3 to 8). The dangerous years for drivers are during those years when the pedestrian is most immune, between 20 and 24 years. Motor-cyclists and passengers suffered very severely during the sis months ended last December, for there were no less than 782 fatalities, whereas the deaths of motor-car drivers ~.anA passengers numbered 168. Pedal cyclists met with almost as many fatal accidents as motor-cyclists, for 529 cyclists lost their lives. CONCLUSIONS NOT APPLICABLE HEBE. Tho facts brought out by the British analysis are most interesting, but the conclusions arrived at cannot be accepted as applicable to New Zealand, for hero traffic conditions are entirely different; probably none of the English conclusions would be confirmed by an examination, of facts regarding New Zealand road accidents. The Dominion's accident rate last year was considerably lower than, for several years previously, but was still exceedingly high, having regard to population and the sfact that traffic volume such as is found in great cities of the Old Country is nowhere found here. Only one quarter of the fatal accidents considered in the British analysis above occurred in the open country, all the others happening in town areas. In the Dominion the proportions are probably the other way round, yet hero the pedestrian has tieen blamed for years as the worst offender of all. There are some motorists—not all by any means—-who believe that the pedestrian is responsible for more than half of the accidents in this country (as is the fact in England). Tha meagre statistics do not indicate that, but in the present form they do not indicate anything in particular. If it could be clearly shown that the pedestrian is a plain fool when it comes to crossing the- road, then no doubt the authorities would see to it that the fool was put in his place. On the other hand, if it was shown that speeds were mainly responsible, other action would bo taken. But nothing definite is shown, so nothing definite can be done. SAFETY ON BUBAL EOADS. On the subject of speeds on rural roads the Transport Department has declared itself in its last report to Parliament by setting out these general conclusions: —• (1) Generally tho rural roads of New Zealand are quite unsuited for high speeds, as regards surfacing, alignment, bridges, and protective fences. (2) In order that the risk to the motorist may bo reduced it appears that a definite speed limit should be imposed on all vehicles using rural roads, and rigidly enforced. (3) It will be very many years before it will be reasonably safe to allow motor-vehicles unrestricted speeds on the rural roads of the Dominion.

No form of action would prevent all accidents, but action directed along right lines would prevent some accidents. It is little wonder that New Zealand's analysis of road accident is so scant, end conveys but little to those authorities who desire guidance in a truo social work of encavouring to prevent loss of life, and to reduc© the vastly greater number of cases of injury, for the main source of information upon which reliance is placed is the registration of deaths. Overseas, traffic authorities tabulate and analyse the circumstances surrounding accidents with fine attention to detail, convinced that only from a foundation of ascertained facts can a very serious probloni be tackled,