ROAD MANNERS

North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 6, Issue 66, 9 April 1937, Page 4

ROAD MANNERS

Mr Semple’s summary of the results of his road safety campaign for six months —sixty odd persons kept out of their coffins and hundreds out of hospital—is worthy of the achievement itself. But it is characteristic of him that he is not satisfied. He will be satisfied when he eliminates nine-ty-five accidents in a hundred, or more, and insists therefore that the educational campaign shall go on with undiminished vigour. But it is doubtful if he will achieve everything he has in view merely by talking over the aj.r, talking to the newspapers, circulating codes, and displaying posters. What he has achieved already by those methods proves certainly that the average man is neither blind nor deaf nor stupid nor irresponsible; but it does not prove much about the driver who is a little below the average in respect for his own and other people’s lives. To reach that driver it will probably be necessary to depend on direct action; and since there are not nearly enough inspectors on the roads to keep a reasonable proportion of drivers under observation, the Minister may be compelled soon to add a force of mobile police. But if he does do that it is to be hoped thht he will follow the example of England, which, though it has recently appointed an additional thousand police, has instructed them to forget that they are policemen and to concentrate on helpfulness and advice.