ROAD ACCIDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 18, 23 January 1939, Page 11

ROAD ACCIDENTS

AUSTRALIAN CONCERN

CONTROL TO BE TIGHTENED

The accident returns in connection with road transport during the holiday period had given the authorities in Australia great concern, and it had been deemed necessary to take very active measures to improve the situation in New South Wales, said Mr. H. H. Sterling, who returned today by the Awatea from Sydney. An effort is being made to educate motorists and pedestrians, and enforce the law more definitely.

"The traffic police, particularly the patrol squads, are being very considerably strengthened. In the cities acition is being taken- to bring pedestrians to a sense of responsibility, and already quite a number of names of pedestrians have been taken by the police for not observing the traffic laws. Action is. also contemplated to I prevent the congestion of cars, and a I Bill was in preparation for presentation to the New South Wale: Parliament to deal with this." THE HEAT WAVE. Mr. Sterling found a very buoyant spirit abroad in the business world, but there was some apprehension regarding the effects of the drought. The whole countryside between Melbourne and Sydney was very parched, and the bush fires had been disastrous. In addition to the deaths there had been great destruction of property, whole townships being wiped out. "I was in Sydney when the temperature record of 113.6 degrees was established," said Mr. Sterling. "The city was certainly burnt up on that day, and one could feel the heat on ! one's face on emerging, though it was less inconvenient than might have been expected, owing to the dryness of the air. There were worse days in Sydney •when the temperature was actually lower, but when the humidity was greater." ,