ROAD SAFETY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 96, 20 October 1936, Page 11

ROAD SAFETY

PROGRESS OF CAMPAIGN

ENCOURAGING RESULTS

LESS LOSS OF LIFE

During the first eight months of this year—from the beginning of January to the end of August—l 62 persons lost their lives and approximately 4000 were injured as the result of road accidents, said the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Transport, .in a broadcast address last night. If no action had been taken and things had been allowed to drift New Zealand would have established a record for the number of dead and wounded this year. During the last seven years over 1250 persons have been killed and about 35,000 have been injured. The highest yearly figure was 247 killed during the twelve months ended March, 1931, and the second Highest was 203 killed during the last financial year. Of the 162 killed up to August this year, 41 were pedestrians, 29 were drivers of cars or trucks, and 33 were passengers; 30 were motor-cyclists, and 4 were pillion riders, and 25 were pedal cyclists. "I read somewhere," said, Mr. Semple, "that usually the Angel of Death is silent, but that where thousands are killed as on a battlefield one can almost hear the rustle of his wings. We do not want to hear this on our roads and highways. What are we doing about the whole tragic business?" THE NEW LEGISLATION. The first step taken was the introduction of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, which came into operation last August. The chief effects of this measure were to restrict speed in populated areas to 30 miles per hour, and to provide much heavier penalties for traffic offences—for instance, the maximum penalty for "hit-and-run" drivers was raised to a fine of £500, or five years' imprisonment. The Act also provided the machinery for abolishing numerous local bylaws that were causing confusion. The Minister said he had already been in touch with a number of local bodies regarding these bylaws, and expressed his appreciation of the way in which they were co-operating with the Government. -.-.., The second step was to call a conference in Wellington during August to discuss the whole question of road accidents. This widely representative conference resolved unanimously that the Minister of Transport should appoint a : National Road Safety Council to investigate the numerous causes of accidents and to make recommendations for prevention. In selecting the ten members of this council he had endeavoured to give representation to as many interests as possible, consistent with securing the services of the most able men. The council held its first meeting last month and appointed a number of committees, which comprised members of the Council and several other experts on various phases of the problem. These committees were now at work on the.questions of adult and child safety education and propaganda, examination of the traffic laws, the collection of complete accident statistics, adequate street lighting, dangerous road conditions, and the effect of alcohol on drivers. During .his- whole- .term as Minister of Transport, said Mr. Semple, he had spared no efforts tp make everyone in the country realise the tragedies that were taking place daily on the roads, ahd.he was much indebted to the Press for giving publicity .to the whole matter.' ■;.,.; .■'..•.:,■ INTERESTING FIGURES. The results so far were most encouraging: The figures showed that during the first six months of this year the average was 21 persons killed per month. Puring July, 19 were killed; during August 16, and in September 4 only. Th«*y could not entirely ignore the element of chance in this connection, but there could be no question that the roads had been much safer during the last few weeks than they had been for several years past. One saw more care on the roads and less dangerous or inconsiderate driving. Only the other day he saw in a newspaper a note to the effect that in a leading motor, repair shop in Auckland where, a few months ago, they were handling an average of three almost completely wrecked cars each week, they had hardly any nowadays. The newspapers for September indicated that 105 persons were injured in road accidents during that month —46 seriously injured. These figures were certainly encouraging when they were . compared with a monthly average for the first eight months of approximately 500 injured. As regards fatalities, if : the September figures were not exceeded, the death roll for twelve months would have-been reduced from 250 to 50. This was good, but not good enough; a clean sheet was wanted. THE AGED AND THE VERY YOUNG; Several points stood out clearly from the figures and information already available. The first was that no less than 25 elderly persons were killed, most, of them pedestriansSome motorists seemed not to have appreciated that aged, people were easily confused, their sight and hearing were often imperfect, and they were not able to leap for safety with the agility of youth. "Any driver whose conduct on the roads makes it necessary for an aged person to make a frantic scramble for safety deserves the maximum penalty the law provides. How can any driver ease his conscience with the thought that 'the old buffer should have got out of the way1 or 'if he hadn't dodged back . . .' and so on?" "Another sad fact was that there were 23 children amongst the.victims. Sonic were toddlers crossing the road unattended. Two youngsters fell from the cabs of motor trucks, due to faulty door catches. Several were cycling to or from school—and so the tragic list goes on. Every thinking man knows that a child is not a reasoning individual, but is a creature of impulse. Most motorists drive with an adequate margin of safety to allow for tho sudden appearance of a child. The traffic officers tell me that they consider that over 90 per cent, of the driven* are careful, and that only" a small portion of the total are habitually reckleMH, although others give way to a reckless impulse occasionally." "I anticipate being able to deal with the habitually dangerous driver in due course, but I ask all drivers to stifle .that occasional urge to take a chance when in a hurry." LEVEI/ CROSSINGS. Already this year twelve persons had been killed in level-crossing smashes. Altogether there were over' 2500 level crossings In this country, of which just over 500 were on main highv/nyn.

In the meantime, the Minister said, h« wfis concentrating on the crossings Lift the principal main highways, and of (he 500 crossings on main highways, lit: proposed to deal with 250 which should bo eliminated within the next, two years. Thp average cost of an elimination was £7000, so that the 2.10 would cost £1,750,000. Some oE the crosaings would be eliminated.-'by:

over-bridge, some by subway, and some 'by deviation of the railway or highway, whichever type fitted the locality best. The whole of the designing staff was working at high pressure, and the designs were coming forward in rapid succession.

The progress to date might be sum. marised as follows:—

Crossings complete, 6 (included in 40).

Crossings in hand or for which contract is let, 40, estimated at £260,000. Under design, 78, cost £561,000. Total, £821,600. The expenditure for the financial year was estimated at £125,000, All the over-bridges were being built in reinforced concrete, and one of the difficulties would be to obtain the reinforcing sled as required. The Old Country was only exporting steel under licence, and Australia was finding the greatest difficulty in filling orders.