THE MOTOR MENACE

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1932, Page 7

THE MOTOR MENACE

BRITISH CHECK. ON SLAUGHTER OF PEDESTRIANS iAus. &. N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, April 26. I the House of Lords, .Lord i Buckmaster moved the second reading of a bill providing that any motor drivers killing anyone, be guilty oi manslaughter. He said that the punishment could be varied in accordance with the degree of negligence. 1 any human injury were caused through .negligence, the driver should be guilty of unlawful wounding. I The bill provides a miniyium penal t lof six months’ imprisonment for failure to stop after causing injury and fixes five miles hourly as the speed limit for goods vehicles weighing over five tons. i Lord Buckmaster said that he had driven cars throughout Britain for 25 years, without once endangering a liv •ing thing, yet now the roads had turniO.d into racing tracks. There was a re;eent case of a motorist who had killed three people, only being fined £l5. j The Lord Chancellor said there w:i> ,no need to amend the law, but to enforce it. He suggested that a speed 'limit would reduce the whole traffic ’<■ 'London to five miles hourly. Lord Cecil said that children an elderly people were being slaughtered in large numbers yearly and motorists were escaping punishment. Earl Howe said that, though he a racing motorist, he sympathised with Lord Buckmaster. Magistrates ougi.i to have power to perpetual arrestment of certain cars, as was possessed on tiContinent. The bill was read a second tiro -, without division.

CAB KILLS BOY. DUNEDIN, April 27. While playing in High Street, Mosgiel, Clifford John Whitson, aged seven, was knocked down by a motorcar. and killed almost instantaneously. INTOXICATED MOTORIST AUCKLAND, April 27. Giving warning that in future ho will seriously consider sending drunken motorists to prison, instead of fining them. Magistrate Hunt to-day fined Angelo Phinixi, 37, clerk, £5O, in default three months’ imprisonment, and cancelled his driving license fo< three years. Accused, yesterday afternoon collided with a clergyman’s car, hit another vehicle, and drove on furiously. It was his third offence. He ha i been fined £l5, and September, 1930. £5O, and the license cancelled for a year. Tt was stated that he was unmar ied, and of good character. Tic hel a good position in a Government De* partment