NO UNIVERSAL RIGHT HAND RULE FOR ROADS

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1949, Page 3

NO UNIVERSAL RIGHT HAND RULE FOR ROADS

GENEVA, February 17.

Britain and Sweden blocked a move to introduce the right-hand rule of the road throughout the world according to a United Nations Economic Commission statement.

The British and Swedish delegates during the preparatory work for the new international Road Traffic Convention, objected to a clause compelling all countries to conform to the right-hand rule within 10 years. The British delegate said the change to right-hand traffic la Britain would cost £15,000,000. Government investigations in 1937 and again in 1944 failed to find sufficiently convincing reasons to justify the introduction of right-hand traffic.

The preparatory committee agree.; on a compromise clause declaring that a change to right-hand traffic was desirable. Other parts of trie convention provide for uniform police signals and road signs throughout the world .simplified customs anti frontire specifications, and generally accepted specifications and safety standards for road vehicles in inteinational traffic.