22 Lives Lost In Five Week-Ends

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 7

22 Lives Lost In Five Week-Ends

— MR. SEMPLE’S COMMENT

[Per Press Association. Copyright.] WELLINGTON, This Day. ,

The extraordinary frequence of fatal accidents during the last five weekends was the subject of comment by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, last night. Mr Semple said 22 lives had been lost during fixe week-ends, an average of more than four each week-end. More traffic deaths had occurred during Saturday and Sunday than during the five working days of the week. Speed too great for the circumstances had been responsible for more than half of the fatalities.

The high percentage of deaths that occurred at night indicated that motorists were not altogether appreciating the necessity for using special technique in night driving, said Mr Semple. Night Driving Investigations.

With the co-operation of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, investigations into night driving hazards were being carried out by the psychology laboratory of the Otago University.

A special sub-committee of the Road Safety Council was meeting at Parliament Buildings on Monday to consider the problem of the intoxicated driver, and particularly the proposal of the Commissioner of Police that “legislation be prepared to make it an offence for any person, while he is in charge of a motor vehicle, to take intoxicants, and that it also be an offence to supply intoxicants to any person while he or she is in. charge of an automobile.”