TRAGIC TOLL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 10, 13 January 1941, Page 9

TRAGIC TOLL

HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

WORST FOR SEVERAL YEARS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day,

Between December 23 and January 5, 17 persons were killed and many hundreds injured in road accidents, said the Hon. R. Semple today. Th;s tragic waste of life was the worst that had occurred for several years and compared most unfavourably with the total of nine deaths in the corresponding period last year.

It had been confidently expected, said the Minister, that the lower petrol consumption would be accompanied by a reduction in.the number of accidents but the lessened risks resulting from the smaller volume of traffic were offset by an evident increase in carelessness, and in some cases by almost incomprehensible disregard for the elementary rules of safety. "A particularly sad feature of the holiday toll was that 70 per cent, of the persons killed were passengers," said Mr. Semple. "Drivers need to realise more vividly that however prepared they may be to take risks themselves, they assume an awful responsibility if they needlessly gamble with the lives others. I would like to express sympathy with those who during the holiday season lost relatives in traffic accidents. I hope that in the coming year all road-users will do their best to eliminate tragedies."