ROAD SAFETY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 190, 13 July 1936, Page 2

ROAD SAFETY

INTENTIONS OF MINISTER. LETTER TO COUNCIL. •“This Bill is the first step in an endeavour to bring about a closer and more uniform method of control of traffic, which it is hoped will very materially reduce the alarmingly heavy toll of accidents on our roads and highways,” stated the Minister of Transport (Hon. K. Semple) in a letter received on Saturday by the Pohangina County Council, together with a copy of tho Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, the committee stages of which have been deferred until the coming session. “I think your members will agree,” the Minister’s letter added, “that some national uniform system of control and regulation of traffic is desirable' and 1 am sure they will agree that wc cannot allow tho present rate at fatalities on our roads as a result of motor accidents to continue. Tho position is indeed serious, as in New Zealand to-day motor fatalities aro responsible for almost one death per day. In the last seven years 1250 people have been killed and 35,000 injured in this way. Motor accidents, at the present rate, will cause more casualties than those recorded for the New Zealand Forces during the Great War. According to tho law of averages, if there are four children in a family, one of these is destined to be killed or injured on our roads. Many of these accidents aro preventable, and I am determined to spare no effort in endeavouring to stop this needless injury and loss of life. “This is a matter of national importance, and 1 am convinced that by a combined effort on the part of all controlling bodies and tho co-op-eration of the public we can bring about some marked improvement in the present difficult and unsatisfactory position.” The letter was received

ACTION COMMENDED,

HOROWHENUA COUNCIL’S VIEW.

A copy of the Minister’s letter on road safety came before the Horowhenua County Council at its meeting on Saturday. The chairman (Cr. G. A. Monk) said the Minister was to bo commended for the attempt he was making to reduco the number of motor accidents. The sp|jjiker. bad felt for a long time that many of the preventable accidents were caused by drivers of stolen cars, others were due to drivers being intoxicated, and others again by persons who were not temperamentally suited to drive. The final issue of tho whole Bill would possibly be a tightening up of the provisions under which driving licenses were granted. Speed through small townships would have to be reduced. Even though there were notices put up by automobile associations and other bodies, some motorists did not reduce speed on going through small towns. It even appeared that a few increased their sjieed. More rigid inspection to reduce speeds in general was required, said Cr. C. P. Jensen. When some people reached the open road they took leave of their senses. They could not control their senses and could not control their cars.

Increased penalties for cutting corners and driving too fast were required, remarked Cr. A. J. Gimblett. Pedestrians, and cyclists also, would have to be educated in road safety to a greater degree. Young people did not take quite the same serious outlook as that of the older people, said the chairman. One had only to see the daring of young children on the roads to realise that they were regarding road traffic in a light different from that of , the view of older folk. On the chairman’s motion it was decided to commend the Minister for the action he was taking.