OFF THE ROAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 12

OFF THE ROAD

CRASH AT CORNER

While driving along the Waitarere Beach road nine miles north of Levin, a car containing Mr. and Mrs. Grant, of Petone, and a young man, missed a corner and crashed off the road. Mr. Grant received head abrasions requiring medical attention, and his companion suffered a cut knee. Mrs. Grant escaped injury.

A car proceeding southwards through the Taita Gorge yesterday morning, and driven by Kenneth George Apia Callingham, left the road and went over a bank when it met another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. The road at this part of, the gorge is newly formed. The driver was unhurt, but his brother, Brian Douglas Callingham, aged 13, suffered severe cuts to the arms and legs. He was attended to by a doctor and afterwards taken to his home at Silverstream.

RISK AVOIDABLE

ASSOCIATION'S VIEW

Patrols' of the Automobile Association (Wellington) report that road traffic was unusually heavy on Christmas Eve and until 2 or 3 o'clock on Christmas morning, but was comparatively light yesterday and is not unusually heavy today. On Christmas Eve inspectors of the Main Highways Board were busy at all congested areas directing traffic, and the association's patrols also gave assistance where necessary. The weight of traffic indicated that many drivers had left home after working all day, and needed to exercise unusual caution, but many on the road showed recklessness and carelessness. Others were driving heavilyloaded cars, cars that were badly lighted, cars with only one light, and cars and light trucks in bad condition.

"The good record on the roads during the last two or three months, induced by the vigorous campaign to reduce road incidents," states the associatiotJ,"/'has"been badly, broken. The

accidents that have occurred during the Christmas period show that it takes only one day of careless and irresponsible driving to undo all the good that has been done. Reports from various parts of the Dominion reveal a serious state of affairs and the grave danger of driving motor vehicles when fatigued. Persons who drive while in such a condition are taking a risk which is not apparent but which, unfortunately, lias been indicated very plainly by the bad record of Christmas Eve.

"Have we reached the stage when we must expect accidents whenever road traffic is heavy?" the association adds. "Unfortunately it looks as if that is the position today, although every accident is avoidable.

"It is unfortunate that such a bad start has been made at the beginning of the holidays, for although traffic on Christmas Eve was extremely heavy the New Year traffic is always even heavier. Xhe association makes a still further appeal to motorists for the exercise of greater care. Go more slowly. Drive more cautiously.

"It is fairly evident, to judge from the continuous stream of traffic on the main roads, especially the West Coast road to Palmerston North, that many hundreds of persons set out from Wellington after having completed a long and arduous day's work, and were driving while in a condition that left them unable to give that concentration so necessary for night driving in an unusually heavy flow of traffic.

"In five accidents reported to the association no fewer than eighteen person's were injured, and of these sixteen were taken to hospital for some form of treatment. Headlights were reported to be in bad condition and poorly adjusted. A great deal of overtaking was done in circumstances that created every risk of accident.

"The record of Christmas Eve again shows up the impatient driver, who, by his actions, involves other roadusers in danger.

"Motorists whose cars are heavily laden should remember that headlights properly adjusted when a car is empty may be seriously out of adjustment when the load is heavy. This applies especially to light cars."