WHICH SIDE?

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 117, 14 April 1930, Page 3

WHICH SIDE?

PEDESTRIANS ON ROADWAYS. COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. When the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday was discussing the attitude of children to motor-traffic, a rather important point cropped up, which side of the road should pedestrians use P The chairman (Cr. Monk) explained that the point had not yet been settled, although the right-hand appeared to be the better. ; The Ohau School Committee wrote complaining of the excessive speed of motorists through the township. There was a very real danger to children and it was remarkable that no serious accident had so far occurred. The warning sign was in tho wrong place. The chairman commented that the matter was bound up in the question of local speed limits at present under consideration.

It was Cr. Gimblett’s opinion that one of the most serious dangers threatening motorists to-day was the’careless attitude of children. If a motorist met a group of children they would split up, some going one way and some another. It should be part of the teachers’ work to instruct children on’ the necessity of keeping to the right sied of the road. At the present time children 1 absolutely ignored motor traffic. ICr. Ryder supported Cr. Gimblett. Only the other day a child playfully rah deliberately out in front of his car and then ran back. The chairman: The Ohau school children are worst on the coast. That is a strong statement, but I make it because just recently several have been nearly run down. I hope the head teacher takes note of this discussion because the children simply will not get out of the road. Continuing, the chairman stated that there was some division of opinion as to what was the right side of the road for pedestrian traffic. At the present the left-hand side was considered correct, but the wisdom of that was open to question. At night when approaching other cars it was difficult to see the backs of pedestrians. “They don’t wear tail lights,’’ parenthetically remarked Cr. Monk. The matter was one that would have to be decided and definite regulations would have to be framed. .As far as school children were concerned, he hoped that what councillors had said would sink in. The general discussion lapsed and in connection with the Ohau Committee’s complaint it was decided to place the signs in a better position.