ROAD ACCIDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 59, 7 September 1937, Page 12

ROAD ACCIDENTS

24 WEEKS, 92 DEAD.

POSITION REVIEWED

"ALARMING TOTAL"

"Ninety-two New Zealanders have •been killed and 1895 injured, 300 of them seriously, in road accidents re.ported during the twenty-four weeks ended August 31," is the announcement made by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple.

"At this rate the casualties for the full year will exceed 4000,': said the Minister. "Tragic is the only word for it."

"The position is better, however,] than it was for the corresponding period of last year. The deaths then were 112 as compared with 92 for the present period. The efforts of the Government, the Road Safety Council, and others assisting in the campaign, have brought about this reduction notwithstanding the big increase in the volume of traffic, but none of us can afford to accept this improved position as being entirely satisfactory. The' total is still an alarming one, and continued and greater efforts by all are urgently necessary. "For the twenty-four weeks the deaths reported are:— Pedestrians' : 29 Motor-cyclists ;......... 14 Push-cyclists .' » Motor-drivers : - *■# Passengers 25 "The injured, comprising men, women and children of various ages, and many of whom are still lying in hospital, are accounted for as follows:— Pedestrians • • • *24 Motor-cyclists. 187 Pillion riders .... • 49 ■ Push-cyclists • «>' Motor-drivers • 281 Passengers .: 551 Others • .' le "Significance attaches to the cabled remarks of Professor Millais of London," said Mr. Semple. "He states that motor-cars are mastering man and that human nature is falling to cope with the progress of the machine which it has created. It seems to me that if our accidents continue at their present rate New Zealand will be among'the countries supplying proof of, the Professor's assertion. The best advice which can be given those who wish to avoid death or injury on our highways is to read the V Road Code, and then make it a habit to observe the rules which are set out in it Detailed figures show-that tramc accidents' reported during August totalled 359, compared with 333 for the previous month. . An analysis of the August accidents reveals that 15 .fatal accidents were reported, as. against 20 for July. The fatal accidents involved six pedestrians, two motor drivers, five passengers ana two motor-cyclists. The seriously injured numbered 50, compared with 71 for July. Among the seriously injured were 22 pedestrians, seven motor-drivers, eight passengers, six push-cyclists, and five motor-cyclists. Minor injuries were sustained by M pedestrians, 47 motor-drivers, 95 passengers, 80 push-cyclists, 29 motorcyclists, and 11 pillion riders.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENT. The deaths of 15 motor drivers and their 25 passengers, and of 14 motorcyclists, and injuries to 1068 persons in those three'groups and a fourth group (pillion riders) are accounted for in statistical suiwey prepared by the Transport Department fdr the 24----week period March 15 to August 31. Contributory causes ,of which there may be more than one for each accident, were: reckless or negligent driving (210); careless or inconsiderate driving (141); failure to keep to the left (171); failure to yield right of way to vehicle coming from the right (165); excessive speed (68); cutting corner (47); v dazzling or inadequate headlights (78), "Not one of these-accidents was unavoidable," was the terse comment of the Minister. ' . . The Statistics show the principal causes of accidents which involved 29 pedestrians in death and 424 in injury during the 24 weeks ended August ■il. The principal contributory causes were:— Failure to yield the right of way . to motor-vehicles <.... S7 Failure to keep to the footpath .. 25 Failure to keep to the edge of the roadway, that is, where no footpath available 11 "Jay-walking" instead of crossing at right angles V.. 50 Intoxication 29 Walked into moving vehicle 12-3 Walked^ut from behind vehicle . 33 Playing on road 14 ' An analysis of the- contributory causes of accidents to cyclists, of whom nine were killed and 387 injured in the 24 weeks, reveals 56 cases of reckless or careless- riding, 40 cases of failure to keep to the left of the roadway, 31 cases of failure to yield the right of way to vehicles coming from the right, 23 failures to signal intention to turn to the right, and 29 cases of inadequate lights or rear red reflectors.