ROAD SAFETY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 22

ROAD SAFETY

WET WEATHER RISK

NEED FOR CAUTION URGED

The need for greater care on the coads in wet weather, particularly at night, was emphasised by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) today. _ "The prevailing wintry conditions call for increased vigilance at night by all road users," said the Minister. "A very complete analysis of accidents over a period of twelve months indicates that darkness and wet road surfaces bring a greatly increased accident risk. Pedestrians and cyclists especially will need to exercise more caution during the coming month. Decreased visibility is the chief cause of the higher accident rate at night. This risk is intensified when road sur-

faces are wet, and visibility is further affected. I 'appeal to all motorists, pedestrians,, and cyclists to make allowance for these factors and to take no risks on the road."

Mr. Semple said that of 517 wet weather accidents 324 or 62 per cent, had occurred at night. The amount of rainfall during the year was distributed equally during the hours of daylight and darkness, yet the percentage of accidents on wet road surfaces was three times as great at night as during daylight. Chiefly due to the presence of more cyclists and pedestrians, urban areas showed a greater increase in night accidents than main highways and rural roads. In daylight, wet weather accidents amounted to 6.8 per cent, of the total; at night, however, wet weather accidents comprised 25 per cent, of the total. During the twelve months cyclists had been involved in 723 collisions with motor vehicles during daylight; 6 per cent, of these had occurred in wet weather. At night there were 274 collisions of which 24 per cent, occurred in wet weather. The figures also indicated

that the wet weather accident risk to pedestrians was more than three times as great at night as during daylight.

"There is only one conclusion to be drawn from these facts," said the Minister. "Insufficient care is taken to allow for slippery road surfaces and decreased visibility at night. A very gratifying improvement was shown in the accident rate last month; ten consecutive days elapsed without a fatal accident. Still more caution will be required this month when wintry conditions may be expected to continue."