SAFETY FIRST FIRST
GOLDEN RULES FOR DRIVERS
The ambulance people would like a holiday, too. They cannot have it now, but there is no need to over-work them.
Although there will be more cars on the road this Christmas than for some years past it should be well within the commonsense of Wellington 'drivers—and walkers—to get through the holidays without'the unhappiness of serious accident and the inconvenience and expense of minor mishaps, said the Chief City Traffic Officer (Mr. L. S. Drake) to a "Post" reporter today.
He gave three main points of advice: Keep speeds down under all circumstances. Keep the right-hand rule in mind. Make full allowance for the other fellow—he may not be as good as you think you are.
The old cars which had been brought out for the holidays should, theoretically, be up to their warrants of fitness, said Mr. Drake, but smooth tyres were another thing, and all the work and plans of traffic control, inside and outside the city, would not avert accident if cars were driven on worn and risky tyres at those few extra miles an hour on corners and intersections.
The issue of driving licences in Wellington, he said, had not yet quite reached the record of 1939-40, but at 22,500 licences Wellington was only two thousand below the peak, with still another five months of the licensing year to go, so that probably 1945----46 would be a record. There were, as a general thing, two driving licences for each car, so the high figure already reached meant that there were few un-
used cars in garages, evgn allowing for the considerably greater number of commercial vehicles this year than in 1939-40.
During the last week or so pedestrian crossings had been repainted to give walkers every chance of getting through the holidays more safely, said Mr. Drake.
It was up to pedestrians and drivers alike to observe them. The newest of the crossings is at the Bank of N.Z. corner, which long had been asked for. It is the busiest of all intersections in the city area.
The shopping streets will be closed to motor' traffic on Monday evening to give late shoppers a clear run, but as New Year's Eve will not be a late shopping night the .shopping streets will remain open on the following Monday evening.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 150, 22 December 1945, Page 8
Word Count
390SAFETY FIRST FIRST Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 150, 22 December 1945, Page 8
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