Two Borough By-Laws Upset

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3494, 2 November 1926, Page 3

Two Borough By-Laws Upset

Two Borough by-laws governing the speed of motor vehicles in Feilding wore hold to be unreasonable by Mr. R. M. Watson, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and a number of prosecutions brought by the police were accordingly dismissed. fhc by-laws attacked concerned the speed within the Borough which is fixed at 15 miles per hour, and the speed of motor vehicles when rounding street corners which is set at G miles per hour. Both by-laws when applied to all thoroughfares within the Borough arc undoubtedly unreasonable, and the fact that they were effective on all thoroughfares without discrimination, established their unreasonableness.

The upsetting of these important by-laws, which were framed for the protection of the general public, does not mean that there is now no speed limit and that the motorist can please himself. There are provisions in tire Motor Vehicles Act which have the effect of more or less controlling the speed of those inclined to over-do tire privilege of owning a motor'ear, and a prosecution under this authority was recorded yesterday.

The increasing number of fatal accidents caused by motor vehicles emphasises the necessity for more comprehensive by-laws governing the speed of motor-cars, and the two by-laws which have been upset may still serve the desired purpose if they are applied to the business portion of the town. It is in the busyquarters where traffic is rather confined that effective control of the motor-car is needed, and the Borough Council will doubtless hasten to review its by-laws in so far as they effect motor vehicles. It was pointed out during the proceedings at the Court that motor-cycles were not included in the by-law controlling the speed round street corners, and it would appear desirable that every “class of motor-propelled vehicle should be included in the revision of the regulations. Their omission from the original by-law was probably due to an oversight. The increasing motor traffic affords ample data upon which to draw up comprehensive regulations governing speed.