WALKER’S CODE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 45, 4 February 1928, Page 13

WALKER’S CODE

HINTS TO PEDESTRIANS. PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS There are plenty of complaints about the reckless motorist and now and then mild rebukes of the careless pedestrian, but as it is generally understood the latter has “right of way” the pedestrian is rarely I called to order. Colonel Mervyn I O’Gorman, C. 8., D.Sc., however, in I a paper read at the Royal Society ol : Arts, London, and reported in its ■ Journal, tackled the question oi i “Road Traffic Problems of the Pedes, trian,” and here follows the general contentions and aspirations with which he concluded his address: “1. Pedestrians are very vulnerable and defenceless traffic units, conspicuously hampered in their progress. “2. Observation of traffic units ol all sorts has disclosed canons of individual behaviour which favour traffic flow. “3. The canons of traffic besiderateness, voluntary or enforced, haviour are based upon the conof each traffic unit for the othci traffic unit's progress. “4. Expression is given to this cons>lerateness by the double dictum ‘show your intended direction and study the other fellow’s,’ “5. To keep to your ‘proper side’ is to sliow your intended direction and incidentally to respect the other fellow’s, whether he would overtake—or would pass you. “6. Pedestrians ignore the canons of traffic behaviour on the footways and are. therefore not attuned to their inflexible enforcement when they step into the roadway. “7. This unpreparedness of pedestrians is evinced by their having no agreed signal for ‘turn right,’ ‘turn left,’ ‘stop,’ ‘swerve’ or ‘reverse’ by which to show their intention to other traffic. “8. This unpreparedness is maintained and fostered by “(a) A belief that there is a pedestrian’s 'prior right of way’ which overrules the rationalised laws of traffic flow. ‘‘(h) Unconsciousness among pedestrians that by neglecting the canons they occasion frequent accidents among other traffic units. “(c) A consequent sense of grievance among pedestrians. which seems to entitle them always to blame others and. therefore, be in the right themselves. “(d) A mistaken notion that no man would imperil bis life to save his time (whereas many a man is known to have lost his life to save his hat.) “9. No claim is made here, or 1 believe, anywhere, that pedestrians are always in the wrong in relation to other traffic classes. But I do '■lnim that they are almost always in the wrong ns regards one another. “in. T demand that the Transport Minister study nnd then publish an authentic code of ‘Road Customs.’ ”