MOTORING ACCIDENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1935, Page 2

MOTORING ACCIDENTS

A WOMAN KILLED. , ( [per press association.) WELLINGTON, August 9. I< As a result of a motor accident ony Hutt Road this afternoon, J. Devins, seaman, of Wellington, was admitted to hospital suffering from severe shock. , His wife, who is stated to have been thrown through the windscreen of the car, died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The accident occurred when the car which Devins was driving struck a bank at the side of the road. Mis. Devins received severe injuries, severing the arteries of her back. CYCLISTS INJURED. MASTERTON, August 9. Two Masterton residents, Jack Nicholls and Ruby Winter, were admitted to the hospital to-night as the result of injuries sustained when a motor cycle they were riding collided with a motor truck in High Street early this evening. Both the girl and the man had a leg broken, while tho former received head injuries. The cycle was ridden by Nicholls and the girl was on the pillion seat. The truck was driven by Phillip Stevenson, a labourer. BRITAIN’S STATISTICS. '

RUGBY, August 8. Figures have been issued by the Ministry of Transport, analysing 1500 fatal road accidents, which occurred in the first part of this year. The analysis is based on police reports. The sole or main causes to which the accidents wore attributed were errors ot drivers 25.1 per cent,, of pedal cyclists 15.9 per cent., of pedestrians 49.1 per | cent., faults in vehicles or equipment! 3.87 per cent., road conditions 0.5 per 1 cent., animals 1.0 per cent., other

causes 4.7. . , , , Of the pedestrians killed. 85.1 per cent, were themselves the sole or main cause of the accident. The victims of fatalities were 55.9 per cent, pedestrians 20.2 per cent, cyclists. 12.9 per cent, motor-cyclists, 6.2 per cent, pas-1 1 sengers, 4.S per cent, drivers. Of the pedestrians killed, 30.2 per cent, were under 15 years, and 49.4 per cent, over 55. . I Among the errors of drivers, exces-, sive speed is stated to have been re-] sponsible for more accidents than any other single error, while pedestrians crossing the road with apparent inattention to traffic was a error which ] caused twice as many fatalities as I any other. nn a 1 Of the fatal accidents reviewed 30.4 ’ per cent, occurred at cross-roads or

road junctions, 6.2 per cent, on roads or bends with a good sight line. The worst period of the day for accidents is between five and seven in the evening.