"CONVERTED" CARS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 5

"CONVERTED" CARS

ALARM AT INCREASE

The alarming number of cases of conversion of motor-cars was commented upon by Mr. A\ Grayson, chair man, at a conference of the North Island Motor Union yesterday.

During the year ended December 31, 1937, which was the latest complete year for which figures were available, there were'7B6 cases of unlawful conversion. There were no statistics available, concerning the value of the property involved, but, assuming that the average value of the cars converted was £250, the value of the cars converted was in excess of £150,000.

It was now several years since this offence had reached a very disconcerting stage, and after intense efforts over a prolonged period the Government had been persuaded in 1935 to increase the penalties for conversion of vehicles. Statistics, however, showed that penalties had not been imposed in such a manner as to prove an effective deterrent.

One outstanding feature of the position was that of 546 charges heard in 1937, approximately half of the defendants had been under 18 years of age. The Minister; of Transport and others concerned could very well, give serious cpnsideration to how this most unsatisfactory position could be corrected, i In its relation to road safety the position was urgently in need of attention, as anyone who was guilty of wrongful conversion was driving in a state of mental stress, which, in many cases, had led to desperate acts of driving. The psychological bearing, no doubt, accounted fdr the very serious nature of mahy of the accidents in which car converters were involved.