SLOW DRIVING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 January 1927, Page 15

SLOW DRIVING.

“POTENTIAL SOURCE OF DANGER.” Slow driving (says an exchange) is often a potential source of danger to other traffic. If anyone wants to drive at fifteen miles, or even ten miles an hour, there is nothing except consideration for others that can deny him his right, in New Zealand, at any rate. He should, however, do all he can to enable faster traffic to pass him with safety. A busy road, however, is not generally one to choose for slow"driving. If a driver does desire to proceed slowly he should keep well over to the side of the road, even getnecessary, to enable other traffic to go by. A close look-out should be kept for traffic both ways, and signals should be given to overtaking drivers to pass on when such are necessary, bi.it only then. Care must be exercised that, such signal cannot be misread for one to stop, or indicating a stop. Quite one of the worst aspects of the slow driver is his reluctance to keep to the left. The rear view mirror is a useful —almost a necessary —adjunct for drivers who desire to proceed at a slow pace. There is a tendency in some quarters to abuse slow drivers, and often they are mistaken for novices. As a matter of fact., however, there is real pleasure in going slowly. The passengers in a ear out for eight-seeing, the glories ol a summer’s day, the delights of conversation, and the 1 ike —very often a car party is merely a drawing-room party out of doors —want to go slowly. Fast travelling is to them at the time merely a spoil sport. The danger is that the driver may become careless, whereas there is actually a demand upon him to deliberately exercise strict vigilance that becomes automatic at high speeds, and he has the additional concern that he must he alive to the presence and rights of traffic coming up behind. When complete stops are made, clear safe parts of the road should he chosen, and the car pulled completely over to the near side, or even off the road alto-

gether. If the desired spot for a stop v is a danger point the car should be stopped at the nearest safe spot and the party should go to the place afoot. If it is not worth the trouble of getting out it is ninety-nine times out of a hundred not worth a stop anyway.