Holiday Road Toll Worst For Several Years

Northern Advocate, 13 January 1941, Page 3

Holiday Road Toll Worst For Several Years

[Per Press Association. Copyright.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Commenting on the fact that 17 persons were killed and many hundreds injured; in road accidents between December 23 and January 5, the Minister for; Transport (Mr Semple), said this tragic waste of life was the worst that h'ad occurred fbr several years. "t; . It compared most unfavourably with the total of nine deaths recorded during the corresponding period last year. “It was confidently expected that the lower petrol consumption would be accompanied by a reduced number of accidents,” said Mr Semple. Greater Carelessness. “The lessened risk resulting from smaller volume of traffic was, however, offset by the evident increase of carelessness and, in some cases, by an almost incomprehensible disregard for the most elemental rules of safety. A particularly sad feature of the holiday toll was that 70 per cent of the persons killed were passengers. Awful Responsibility. Drivers needed to realise more vividly that, however prepared they may be to take risks themselves, they assumed an awful responsibility if they needlessly gambled with the lives of others. . “I would like to express my sympathy with those who, during the holiday season, lost relatives in traffic accidents. I hope that in the coming year all road users will do their best to eliminate these tragedies.”