“JAY WALKING.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 August 1926, Page 16

“JAY WALKING.”

CONDITIONS IN SYDNEY,

That the police in future intend to take a more serious view of jay-walk-ing is a long-overdue announcement. Over twelve months ago The Sun (Sydney) pointed out the necessity tor regulating pedestrian traffic with the idea of lessening congestion, and also lessening too numerous shocks to the driver's system caused by the carefree citizens who cross the roads when and where they like.

The ‘'keep to the left"regulation” is enforced as far as possible on the footpaths, and although its enforcement entails the presence of constables to direct traffic, the results have lessened congestion on fhe footpaths, and have boon highly satisfactory. Apart from the- jay-walkers who cross the road when and where they like, the worst offenders are those people who alight from trams on the wrongs side. This fault could be quickly eliminated, simply by placing a barrier on the wrong side of the tram. In very little time the practice of getting off on the wrong side would bei corrected. I Inter-State visitors who have seen people alighting from our trams are

section,

amazed at 'the risks they take. But what of tho motorist? Is it not a tribute, to his carefulness that there are so few accidents?

It simply means that the motorist has become educated to the ways of the pedestrian. Most motorists would never attempt to pass a tram on the wrong side without being on the alert for tho person who steps off on the “blind.” No responsibility can be held against the motorist for any accident which might happen on the wrong side of a tram, unless, of course, while following the tram he took the wrong side in order to pass it. But when coming in the opposite direction the passenger who steps off does so at. his or her own risk.

And so wo find that the pedestrians who have the motorist on the alert all the time, which no doubt is as it should be, must be protected against themselves.

The motorist, harassed as he is, has enough to contend with in the city and should not have to suffer the inconvenience. which pedestrians create. Apart from watching his regulations and keeping a close eye on the traffic police, so as to help him in his job, the motorist has his fellow motorists to think of and must keep on tho move.

Over consideration for tho pedestrian lands him in trouble one way or the other. He either holds up the traffic or brings upon himself the curses of the traffic policeman who is anxious for speeding up over intersections.

Often when called across an inter

not start until a slow moving crowd gets away from the front of his car. The result is that he has lost his call from the constable and either has to jump oil the mark quickly or be spoken to in harsh terms by the constable. An explanation co the constable is unavailing. He hasn’t time to argue, and if he has he will probably stand your car aside and then '‘book” you for impudence, or some other such monstrous charge. The motorist who takes all the risks and responsibility, Is not helped any more by the pubiie than lie is in some cases by the police. Take the case of a man who ran down a dog in a suburban street the other day. He was travelling at 25 miles an hour and could not possibly avoid the dog. It walked under his car, and to have missed it he would have had to swerve and probably would have capsized the car. The dog was killed instantly and the driver immediately pulled up and went back to examine the dog. He met the owner on the way and was blamed entirely for the accident, although ho offered his regrets, and was undoubtedly ill at having had the bad luck to kill the dog. That motorist has been cursed by the owner of the dog. ISTo consideration for the motorist is shown by keeping the dog off the street, and had the motorist been killed in avoiding the dog, the owner of the dog might not have shown the same, consideration as was displayed by the motorist towards the dog. This incident merely serves to illusa motorist finds that he can- trate the difficulties which the motorist

has to contend with. People who have never driven a car know nothing of the trials and risks which the motorist runs, . , . . , The whole world is against him, and if he is involved in an accident he has to be fortunate on the day, in order to avoid the inevitable consequences, which await him —simply because he is a motorist.

If as suggested the police intend to turn their attentions towards the jaywalker the life of a motorist might bo made a little happier.