ROAD DEATHS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 50, 28 February 1945, Page 7

ROAD DEATHS

DOMINION FIGURES

BETTER THAN ELSEWHERE

During the seven years prior to 1936, when the Government's road safety campaign was introduced, road deaths had occurred in New Zealand at the rate of 3.16 per million gallons of petrol used by motor vehicles, said the Commissioner of Transport (Mr' G. L. Laurenson) in additional evidence submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government yesterday, afternoon. In the seven years 1937-1943. that rate dropped to 2.82, a reduction of 11 per cent. A similar reduction had not- taken place in other countries.

The following table compared the New Zealand death-rate per 10.000 motor vehicles with that of Great Britain, the United States and Australia since 1932:—

Since 193G New Zealand was the only country which had effected a steady decline in its .oad accident rate, and that was in spite of the fact that the rate had always oeen lower than in those other countries. In Australia the decline in accidents had not kept pace with the decline in motor vehicle usage during the war years. The death-rate per. motor vehicle in the Australian States was from twice to three times as high as the corresponding New Zealand death-rate.

The Transport Department, by mutual arrangement, controlled traffic in one city and 74 boroughs, town districts, and road districts out of a total of 164 such areas, and in 122 counties out of 125.

1932 8.5 29.9 12.2 19.3S ...... 8.0 31.5 1II.2 IU.'M ...... 7.5 30.5 14.4 1935 .. 9.0 25.3 13.!) l'JSB 10.0 23.8 13.5 1937 ...... 9.4 22.fi 13.3 JOliS 9.4, 23.0 11.1 1039 S.G 27.0 10.fi 1940 7.0 * ]0.S 1941 •-. 0.0 * U.6 ' 194-2 .: 0.4 * * 1943 5.1 * * 'Figures not available. 13.9 . 13.4 14.8 10.0 18.2 17.5 17.4 15.9 17 15 17 *