TRAFFIC LINES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 109, 8 April 1936, Page 16

TRAFFIC LINES.

IGNORED BY MOTORISTS. Consideration was given by the Manawatu County Council, yesterday, to correspondence received from the Safety First Committee of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce, asking the council to enforce the by-law regarding cyclists riding .at night .without lights, and also pointing out tire advisability of having rear mudgaurds on cycles painted white. The committee also advocated checking the condition of the health of applicants applying for a renewal of. motor drivers' licenses.

He was quite in agreement with the views brought forward, said the chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber) who added that many of the accidents that arose were caused through the failure of motor drivers to keep inside- the white traffic lines on corners, etc. On several occasions travelling to Wellington he had noticed motorists ignoring the white lines defining the safety limits on corners, some of them being serious breaches of the measures set out. Endorsement of the chairman’s views was forthcoming from Cr. R. A. Wilson, who said he had witnessed several narrow escapes from accidents through failure of motorists to observe the white lines. There .was a definite need r for action in the matter, in his opinion. Cr. W. E. Pearce referred to the recent broadcast address of Mr Justice Blair, who had ' stated that there was not a road in the Dominion capable of meeting the requirements of the present dav motor vehicles. The cars of to-day had exceptional power, but motorists were etill continuing to travel in the thought of miles per hour,'instead of, in Mr Justice Blair s opinion, so many feet per second. With the remarks that had been made Cr. Pearce said he was thoroughly in accord for they very directly showed one of the main reasons for highway accidents. Cr. J. Boyce agreed that the remarks of Mr Justice Blair had been very true and showed clearly the danger that existed through traffic indications not being olieyed. In a general discussion the council agreed that there was every necessity for the regulations regarding unlighted cycles to be enforced, and Cr. Boyce, suggested that at night bicycles should be compelled to travel on the right hand side of the raod facing oncoming traffic. This would tend to obviate collisions between cyclists and motorists. The chairman said this question .was one for the Counties’ Conference and he suggested that for the present the council refer the letters from the committee to Mr W. Berry (county inspector) for action. • This was agreed to without further comment, - ~