ROAD SAFETY

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1936, Page 14

ROAD SAFETY

DRIVING TUITION IN SCHOOLS

(per press association.]

BLENHEIM. July 22

“You don’t hear of many people being poisoned through bad cooking, or anybody being killed through bad woodwork, but you do hear of thousands being killed through faulty driving,” declared Mr. G. V. Spence, in advocating, at a meeting of motorists last evening, that the Education Department should include instruction in traffic regulations and motor driving in hke school curriculum.

The meeting was held under the auspices of the Marlborough Automobile Association for the purpose of discussing the growing problem of road safety, and the measures necessary to minimise traffic accidents. It is recognised that the schools are doing a certain amount towards makingchildren conversant with traffic rules, hut Mr. Spence contended that instruction must go further. Virtually all the children now at school will be motorists when they grow up, and it is essential that they should be given a thorough grounding in the operation of motor vehicles and the observance of regulations, competence in which is going to become more essential as time goes on. Pupils are already taught cooking, woodwork and similar accomplishments, which they might not use in later life, but there is no instruction in driving, which would certainly be useful.

It was appreciated by the meeting that youth was the time to learn anything. including motoring, and it was resolved to approach the Government through the South Island Motor Union, to include the subject in the curriculum.