PROPOSAL “WOULD BE BLOW TO BRITISH JUSTICE”

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 September 1949, Page 3

PROPOSAL “WOULD BE BLOW TO BRITISH JUSTICE”

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 23 (P.A.) —Mr D. W. R. Carey, retiring president of the South Island Motor Union, at its annual conference in Christchurch today, referred to the suggestion by the Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. L. Laurenson) at the North Island Motor Union conference, at Hawera, that in motor accidents caused to young children, the driver of the vehicle should be considered guilty of negligence until his innocence was proved. Mr Carey said: “We won’t stand for this. Why should the chief canon of British justice be changed just because the Commissioner of Transport thinks that the responsibility for the accidents to children under school age should rest entirely on the motorists?

“I admire an efficient public service, 'but I firmly believe that it should take direction from the public as a whole. I think that the Commissioner forgets himself.” said Mr W. Brdwn president of the North Island Motor Union. He explained developments leading to Mr Laurenson’s statement. This question of the safeguarding of the children came before the Road Safety Council, which referred the matter to its Child Safety Sub-Committee, on which, he said, he was the only motorists’ representative. Mr Brown said he thought that it was grossly unfair to discuss the matter before consulting the main body of the motorists. He invited Mr Laurenson to speak to the North Island Motor Union, so that the question could be properly ventilated. He said that, after nation-wide publicity to the affair, a stream of protest had come from motorists and the public The Automobile Association members rated safety as highly as anyone in the country. Indeed, their road safety campaigns had done as much as any other agency to keep accidents down. In opposing the proposal adamantly, motorists should not be thought callous to the welfare of the children.

Dr S. A. Gibb (Nelson) said that, at the outset, the proposal was a direct infringement of liberty of the subject under British law.” “It is scandalous,” said Mr L. C. Chaytor (Marlborough). The only effect of such a law would be to make a motorist involved in an accident panic, and bolt.

A committee was formed to prepare a case vigorously opposing the the proposal. It was stated that a united front would be shown by both the North and South Island Motor Unions, representing members of all Automobile Associations throughout the country.