MAIN AND SIDE ROAD TRAFFIC

Evening Star, Issue 22261, 12 February 1936, Page 16

MAIN AND SIDE ROAD TRAFFIC

HAS FORMER PRIORITY ? LEGAL ADVICE SOUGHT [Per United Press Association.] NELSON, February 11. The South Island Motor Union’s recommendatiou to associations to, place signposts on side roads with the heading “ Caution—Main Road Ahead,” was discussed by the Nelson Automobile Association. The President (Dr S. A. Gibbs) said that the question arose whether the main road user had any rights over the side road user. At first it had seemed apparent that there were no such rights, but in two judgments a local magistrate had definitely stated that mam road traffic had preference over side road traffic. Mr C. M. Rout said that a greater degree of care was necessary on the part of the side road user when emerging on to a main road. That, however, did not mean that the main road man should “ barge ahead at a terrific speed and taka no notice of what was coming from the side.” “. . • Legally the onus for an accident which occurs at the junction of a main and a side road is thrown on the side road user?” asked Dr Gibbs. Mr Rout said that there was a prima facie case. Dr Gibbs said that before erecting signs it seemed desirable to obtain a legal opinion whether a main road user had any priority of right over a side road user. It was resolved that a remit should be sent to the South Island Motor Union recommending that legal advice should be obtained on the matter. [When the above telegram was referred to Mr F. J. Williams, president of the Automobile Association (Otago), he said the matter had come up for discussion at the last quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union at Marlborough. It was then considered that while there was no legal right to make a side road user give way to main road traffic, the person coming out of a side road should exercise greater caution. It was decided at that meeting that associations be asked to place signs on side roads with the words, “ Caution—Main Road,” written on them. As the law stood at the present time traffic must give way to traffic coming in on the right, but members at the Marlborough meeting thought that side road traffic should be particularly cautious.]