Auckland Area Has Worst Accident Record

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1945, Page 4

Auckland Area Has Worst Accident Record

(Special) WELLINGTON, This Day More than one-third of the accidents involving pedestrians during 1944 occurred' in the Auckland metropolitan area, according to the annual report* of 'the Transport Department, which has just been issued. This area contains 11 per cent of the Dominion and 12 per cent of the total number of motor vehicles. The pedestrian accidents which occurred in Auckland and Wellington comprised more than half of the Dominion total. “When all type of motor accidents are taken into consideration, the Auckland area has by far the worst records of all centres,’*’ the report states. “While the difficulties due tc concentration of population in this area are admittedly considerable, it is evident that more effective measures than have hitherto been applied will be necessary if the present rate of killing and maiming of the population is to be arrested. This country cannot afford the price in human lives which .must be met if effective measures are not taken in this district.” The accidents, throughout New Zealand totalled 2097, involving 140 dfcaths and injuries to 2667 persons. These figures were slightly less than those for 1943, when there were 2112 accidents, with 145 persons killed and 2746 injured. In 1939, before petrol restrictions were introduced, 251 persons were killed and 5649 injured on the roads in New Zealand. Accidents To Children “The circumstances, mostly point to a lack of parental .supervision,” states the report in drawing attention to road accidents to children under five years of age during 1944, which caused the death of five and injuries to 38 others.

“Although the general opinion is held among competent observers that there is a constant improvement in the behaviour of school pupils in traffic and in their road sense, and this view is supportred by a steady reduction in the number of accidents to children in recent years, this reduction was not maintained during 1944,” states the report. “On the contrary, an increased number of accidents involving school pupils as pedestrians or as cyclists, was reported.” The figures would seem to point to the need for intensifying and improving the instruction already being given in the schools, the report states.

Yearly totals of school pupils killed and injured dropped progressively from 408 in 1938 to 106 in 1943. but last year’s total was 204.