LACK OF CARE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1934, Page 12

LACK OF CARE

CAUSES OF ACCIDENT

A DIFFICULT INQUIRY

MANY FACTORS ENTER

The City Council officer who during the past two years has been working, with the assistance of various Government Departments, in investigating street accidents in the city, has produced a very substantial report, so detailed and covering so many typed sheets that it cannot be published in the Press except in greatly abridged form. The inquiry has been made from many angles, reflected in no less than 26 tables, taking account of the many factors which led to the far too numerous city accidents, fatal, sericus, and minor, during the period of inquiry. The general conclusion is that everyone who usese the streets and roads must be more careful, motorist, motorcyclist, pedestrian, and cyclist. The report and the pronouncements of all who are taking part in the accident prevention campaign are agreed that "Dou't J" applies just as much to the up-to-date motorist as. to that relic of another age, the poor, stumbling pedestrian.

The report has a value apart from its presentation of statistical facts in that it has introduced to New- Zealand a type of inquiry now insisted upon in Great Britain, America, and most of the older countries—a real inquiry into all street accidents, and not simply a history of fatalities and mere generalising over non-fatal accidents. But because there is no regular channel through which accident (as distinct from fatality) facts, let alone accident details, may be had, the work was difficult, and may have to be dropped. Possibly, however, the lead given by the Wellington City Council may revive a determination expressed some years ago (and then forgotten) to set about accident prevention by first ascertaining why accidents happen. The present report is a Wellington City report, and the conclusions reached cannot apply, except in general fashion, to country roads or even smaller towns. PROBABLE PRINCIPAL CAUSES. Summing up the facts and tables on the preceding thirty odd sheets of the report, the investigator states that any attempt to tie an accident down to one particular cause or even to one principal cause, is particularly difficult, for the variety of contributing causes leads one to doubt whether it is even possible definitely to determine the main causes of street traffic accidents or to determine the relative value of contributing causes. 'The'analysis had been made, therefore, in an attempt to determine the most probable principal causes wirP- 74° street traffic accidents in Wellington. . Tables then set put these probable principal causes as follows:— Pun.. Number of Br..ro, r « Bntat i on^" CCM"te- Pttee»ta««p<3San •■••::::::•;;:;• -U 7«v .-■:.«•• Roadway ••••... lit 16.6 Mechanical defects :"" 19 ' H General £j sb Cause unknown or unstated '31. 4.2 Total •'•••• TF 1^ _ Of the 170 accidents in which pedestrians were involved 124, ' or 73 per cent were caused by pedestrians, 113 accidents being due to the failure to Keep a proper lookout when crossing •streets, 5 due to attempts by'pedestrians to avoid, other vehicles, and 6 are scheduled under other pedestrian causes. In .8 of the 9 fatal pedestrian accidents the pedestrian was at fault, and the cause of 15 of the 23 serious injuries to pedestrians was attributed to the pedestrian. The next table analyses errors and breaches, of the motor regulations as causes of accident:— Percentage >.umberof of total ■_,■„■■ , . . •■ accidents, accidents. Failure to keep1 a proper ' lookout i= n ~, . Failure to give way to the 3" right .'... 100 ">i 0 •Cutting in and passing 98 200 Other breaches of regula- -«-o tions ....... a q Excessive speed ....'.'.'.'. 29 6 1 side of road 25 ■ '■ S« Failure to signal or signal properly it 3g Cutting corner 16 ; 33 Insufflclent or glaring ' • headlights 5 nPassing stationary tram . 5 ii Passing on the wrong side .2 o.i Total .47" 100.0 •Principally collisions , between trams and motor-vehicles in passing. MECHANICAL DEFECTS AND ROADWAY. To mechanical defects of vehicles are attributed 19 accidents, including one fatal and two resulting in serious injury. Brakes figured in 12 cases, and on account of the regulations not requiring brakes to be what may be termed 100 per cent. - efficient this figure is probably low. Two accidents were attributed to faulty steering gear, one fatal accident to the vehicle not being roadworthy, and four accidents which caused two serious injuries to other mechanical defects. No accidents were attributed to bursting tires. Accidents resulting from the condition of roadways arc analysed as follows:—Wet roadway, 10; narrowness of Toadway or junction, 8; oil or frost on roadway, 6; other roadway causes, 3; loose gravel, 2; poor visibility at corner, I. Total, 30. .The report remarks that in causes due to wet roadway and loose gravel there is a considerable element of personal carelessness or inexperience that should be ' taken into account. One fatal and one ' serious injury .accident were attributed to wet roadway. There were no other fatal or serious-injury accidents attributed to roadway conditions. In the former cause the contribution towards accidents offered by dead smooth or badly -worn tires must not be overlooked, and such a condition of tires is a serious neglect. Kef erring to the 64 accidents which are classed under the heading of "general causes," the report remarks that the poor visibility total, 15, -is bad, and that in many cases such accidents are attributable to obscured windscreens and faulty windscreen wipers. The report expresses thanks' for material assistance from the Police and Transport Departments, the Census and Statistics Office, and the Motor Registration Branch, G.P.O.