MOTOR CONTROL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 August 1924, Page 5

MOTOR CONTROL

ANNUAL LICENSING. PUNISHMENT FOR RECKLESSNESS PROPOSED NEW FEES. (By Telegraph —Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 12. ■ Ihe Motor Vehicles Bill, providing tor control over drivers, registration of motors and annual licenses, was introduced by Governor’s message in the House to-day and read a first time. It will be referred to a committee and be circulated among the local authorities and others interested. It is to come into force on January 1, 1925. Ihe present system of registration of motoi s is to be replaced by a method °u natioual registration undertaken by the Post Office, whose officers will be appointed deputy registrars. There will be a central registrar in Wellington, who will keep a complete record of the vehicles. Motors will require to be licensed annually, the penalty for neglest being £2O per day. Registration must take place within a month of the passing of the Act. The proceeds of registration are to be paid to the national highways account for the maintenance, but not the construction, ot roads. DRIVERS’ LICENSES. Ihe licensing of drivers is to be left as at present to the local authorities, the annual fee being five shillings. Regulations may be! made prescribing the qualifications for drivers, and provision is made in the .Bill for the endorsement or suspension of licenses by a court of justice. Drivers’ license fees are payable to the local authorities, but all other fees, such as the annual vehicle license and all fines under the Act. are payable to the Highways Board. INTOXICATION AND RECKLESSNESS.

It is made an offence for a person to be in charge of a motor vehicle while intoxicated, and he may be arrested without warrant. It is also an offence to drive recklessly, and if any person through intoxication or lecklessness causes the death or bodily in-jui-y of any other person he is liable to imprisonment for five years or a fine not exceeding £SOO. DRIVERS’ DUTY IN CASH) OF ACCIDENT. The Bill provides• that it is the duty of any motor driver in the event of an accident to render all practicable assistance and, whether he has committed an offence or not, to stop on a constable’s request to, give sufficient information to enable him and the owner of the motor vehicle to he identified. It is an offence to use a car with the identification mark obscured FEES

Fees payable for annual licenses are as follows: Motor cycle 10s, private car £2, public car £2, motor coach or omnibus £5. For. trade motors: (a) One-ton truck fitted with pneumatic tyres on all wheels, £2; (b) motor lorry fitted with solid tyres, £5; (c) motor lorry fitted with pneumatic tyres on all wheels, £3; trailers, £3. Every other motor vehicle £2. Exemptions are provided for local or jvublic authorities. Vehicles and motors used exclusively for public purposes are declared under the regulation to .be exempt. ' . The charge fpr .registration of a motor cycle is 10s, other motor vehicles £l. The payment of the annual license fee does not relieve owners of charges made- by the local "authorities in respect of heavy traffic, vehicles plying for hire, or tolls on roads or charges for ferries.