TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22810, 19 November 1937, Page 3

TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT

ACTIVITIES OF THE YEAR TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES “ During the past year road safety has been the most important feature of tlio department’s activities,” states the annual report of the Transport Department, which was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Transport (Hon. R. Semple). “Regulations have been passed controlling driving hours in the road transport industry both under the Transport Licensing Act and the Motor Vehicles Act,” the report continues, “ and safety measures have been incorporated in the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 1936. The Traffic Regulations have been revised, and their scope widened, and a council to act in an advisory capacity in all aspects of road safety has been set up.” The report records that the persons killed in road accidents number 213 during the year, an increase of 10 compared with the previous year. CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS. The main features which appear from a study of the statistics compiled are:— 1. The total number of accidents shows an increase of 12 over the previous year, this increase'being made up largely of collisions between motor vehicles. A slight decrease has occurred in respect of accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists. 2. Over half the accidents occurred at night or during dusk, indicating that lack of adequate seeing ability is a vital factor, as during this period of the 24 hours there is only about onefifth of the volume of traffic which is carried during daylight hours. 3. There were 11 railway crossing smashes where someone was killed, the highest annual total yet recorded. 4. Fifty-nine per cent, of the fatal accidents occurred on country roads, and 41 per cent, in the urban areas. 5. Although the actual number of pedestrians killed has not increased, they still represent over one-quarter of the fatalities caused through motor vehicle accidents.

6. Motor cycles, although representing only 9J per cent, of the vehicles on the road, constituted 19J per cent., of the vehicles involved in fatal accidents. 7. The most common breaches of the law leading to fatal accidents were:— (a) Driver’s intoxication, either mild or severe; (b) on incorrect side of road; (c) failure to comply with the offside rule; (d) excessive speed under the circumstances; (e) various vehicular defects such as glaring or ineffective lights and faulty brakes. 1 8. Pedestrians were at fault in a considerable number of instances, UNIFIED CONTROL. “ During the year under review several important changes in traffic supervision have been inaugurated, and as far as possible the Government’s policy of unified control has been put into operation. Owing to the pressure of other important legislation last session, Parliament did not have an opportunity of considering legislation relating to traffic control. However, with the assistance and co-operation of the Main Highways Board, it was found possible to institute a temporary arrangement to give immediate effect to the Government’s policy. “ The board at that time employed 15 full-time traffic inspectors throughout the Dominion, and subsidised the salaries and expenses of a further 13 inspectors employed by groups of local authorities. Twelve of these group inspectors were, added to the board’s staff, and 14 additional new appointments were made, bringing the personnel up to 41. “Owing to the introduction.of the State highways, with a consequent increase in the scope of the board’s activities, the board suggested early this year that it would facilitate matters if • the Transport Department assumed full control of the traffic enforcement machinery, and offered to arrange the necessary finance until other arrangements could he made.

“The department, therefore, took over control as from April 1, 1937. Since that date the personnel has been increased to 48 by the appointment of five new inspectors and by taking over one more county inspector. “ Now that it has its own stall of inspectors, the department has been able to arrange a much closer supervision Of transport generally. A good deal of attention lias been paid to the question of working hours of transport drivers, and operators are now observing the regulations in a reasonable manner. The suppression of unlicensed services and the efficient control of the licensed operators has effected an allround improvement in transport matters generally. “ Although it has been the department’s policy to educato and assist 'road users as far as possible without resorting to prosecutions, a largo number of breaches of the various Acts and regulations relating to traffic control are still being detected. Prosecutions are undertaken in all cases where the offences show a disregard for public safety or wboro deliberate evasions of the legislation are apparent.”