STREET CROSSINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 10

STREET CROSSINGS

THIRTY CASES TAKEN

PEDESTRIANS IGNORED

FAULTS ON.BOTH SIDES

The remarks made by Mr. Justice Reed in the Supreme Court regarding the non-observance by motorists of the regulation giving pedestrians the right-of-way on authorised street crossings have had a real effect—upon some motorists, but the consistent offenders continue to hog it. There are faults on both sides at marked crossings, but no pedestrian has yet smashed up a car or a taxi or a lorry by running into it on a marked crossing, and the offenders know perfectly well that the pedestrian will give way.

Whether this is an overstatement of the non-observance of the regulation, so pointedly commented upon by MrJustice Reed, and of a general disregard of the safety of the pedestrian, can be tested by anyone who will set out with the determination to exercise his plainly-stated right to cross such roadways, as Jervois Quay, from the Traffic Office itself to the Star Boating Club footpath, the Whitmore Street crossing, any crossing in Adelaide Road, or the marked ways over the Mercer-Wakefield Street crossings. But only a plain fool would set himself a test like that.

The discussion in the Supreme Court suggested that the Traffic Office had done little to enforce the regulation, at any rate by taking action against offenders, but this impression is not correct. In the four months, March to June, 33 prosecutions were laid, 32 offenders were convicted and penalised, and one charge was dismissed; and in the same time at least as many again were dealt with by word of mouth by inspectors. For many months past the city officers have exercised a close control at certain key points in the city with the idea of getting it into the heads of both drivers and pedestrians that the regulation must be observed.

Thirty-two offenders have been fined j in four months, but thirty-two thousand offenders have got away with it. Not so many pedestrians have come to grief, for the level of intelligence among them is, happily, adequate to keep them to the kerb or to make them jump for it. POWEE OF THE UNIFORM. Mr. Justice Reed suggested that something more should be done about it, and mentioned the possibly greater results obtainable were inspectors posted at crossings in plain clothes. Here, however, there is a stopper, for the regulations (Reg. 3, sub-section 3) says that the inspector or police officer must" wear a distinctive cap and badge at least. So, unless, the regulation is amended, traffic officers must wear uniform, and where there is a uniform that delightful Old World courtesy holds, but there are 150 crossings where traffic officers cannot be stationed, and here the threemile pedestrian looks at the up-to- | thirty driver. He might stop, or again ihe might not. There are faults on both sides, but the driver has the weight, and he wins when it. comes to bluffing. : , It is not to the credit of drivers that their reaction to the sight of a uniform is so good. It is merely proof that | they know the regulation perfectly ■ well, and that, except under compul- | ,sion, many of them have no regard j for the regulation right of the pedes- ■' trian to cross the roadway in assured safety. No wonder pedestrians hesi- 1 tate when four drivers may stop and. the fifth may not. The streets are too busy now for a decent ease of mind either among walkers or drivers, and next summer | there will be times when traffic will jbe doubled. Unless Wellington is to build up a tragic street accident total during the Exhibition, the habit of recognition of mutual rights will have to take hold now. The Traffic Office is doing good work at the key crossings, trying to "educate both sides to the marked crossing bargain, but there is a very long way to go.