Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1930. FATALITIES ON THE HIGHWAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 116, 12 April 1930, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1930. FATALITIES ON THE HIGHWAYS.

It is high time steps were taken to eliminate tlie growing, number of fatalities that are recorded from time to time on the highways of the Dominion. The number of motor accidents, resulting in the death of one or more persons, that have taken place within the last few weeks is really appalling. Added to these are such distressing occurrences as were recorded on Monday, when six persons were killed outright, and five others seriously injured, as the result of a motor bus being smashed up by a special train, at a level railway crossing near Hikurangi on the "VVhangarei-Opua line. In regard to the latter, while the crossing at which these lamentable fatalities occurred is said to be dangerous, and other crossings in the vicinity are also classed by local authorities in that category, the Railway Department states that “the crossings in the locality where the tragedy occurred have never been considered specially dangerous in comparison with others,” and “if due precautions are taken by drivers there should be no difficulty in safely negotiating the crossings.” The policy of the department is to eliminate in course of time wherever practicable all level crossings, and it has done a good deal meanwhile to minimise the danger at such crossings. In his report to the Minister of Railways last year, the General Manager (Mr H. H. Sterling) points out that the department employs a total of eighty crossing keepers at thirtyseven crossings at an annual cost of £13,122, of which £llO7 is recovered from local bodies. Overhead bridges or subways constructed to eliminate other level crossings have cost the department £150,000; warning bells have been installed at fifty-four crossings, wigwag signals at thirty-two. crossings, and flashing light signals at four crossings at a total cost of £19,080, and every ''crossing has' been supplied with standard “warning” notices at a cost of approximately £26,000. The total expenditure on the protection _ of: level crossings is in the vicinity of £195,080, of which amount'the Highways Board has spent £13,000, and the local bodies £24,000. Steps have also been taken which indicate the

anxiety of the department “to do its best for the safety and convenience of motorists',” and Mr Sterling says that, “if they will respond with their active cooperation in the matter of the careful use of level crossings, and obedience to the law and various signals established for their protection, the problem of the level crossing should assume very small dimensions.” The department cannot be regarded as blameable when motorists or others neglect to observe these very simply precautions; it is only where they are disregarded that accidents occur. So far as motor traffic oh the- highways and byways is concerned, the case is different, but reckless driving or inattention on the part of the motorist to his machine is responsible for nine-tenths of the accidents recorded, and here again, were the rule of “safety first” observed, there would not be a tithe of the accidents that are recorded. There is no reason why motor traffic on the roads of the Dominion should not be conducted with as much safety as passenger traffic on the railways. A leading motorist the other day, speaking as an expert, said lie was looking forward to the. time when such traffic would bo immune from all preventable accidents, and if tjie drivers of motor vehicles exercised ordinary precautions there is no doubt it would be. But, if that very desirable state of affairs is- to be obtained, the reckless driver and speedster must be eliminated, or stricter supervision must be exercised over the issue of licenses to motorists. !,teps must also be taken by the Transport Department to see that the law in regard to motoring is complied with in every respect, and, where necessary, strengthened for the protection of the public, whose right to the free use of the highways has been unnecessarily assailed by a certain small section of motorists, on the assumption that their contributibns to the revenue in the shape of petrol and tyre taxes, license fees and so forth, .give them the exclusive right of the road.