MOTORING NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 3 February 1931, Page 8

MOTORING NOTES

HIGHWAY CODE OFFICIAL STANDARD OF HOAD liTIIICS (IJy Gerald lily, London, for “The Mail”) In common with other motorists I have been studying the Highway Code published in draft form by. the .British Ministry of Transport. This code is a document of considerable interest, not only those who will be primarily affected by it, that is to say. road users in Great Britain, but to road users in every part of flic world, for it represents the first, occasion upon which the Government of any country lias laid down a definite standard of ethics for all who go by road, whether in a car, on a motor cycle, a push-bike, a horse or on foot. Jlaving thus established the international importance of the Highway Gode. it is now my duty as a writer on-motor-ing topics to pick holes in it. My first point of criticism is that it engages in too many pious generalities instead of telling road users deCmite.lv what they must do and what they must not do. For instance it begins as follows: “Always he careful and considerate towards others. As a responsible citizen you ha\o a dutv to the. community not to endanger or impede others in their lawful use of the King’s Highway.” One can almost see road-bogs shedding tears of repentance as they read these sentiments and vow to be always “careful and considerate towards others” in the future. The same emotion will lie aroused in their breasts as they read on and are exhorted lo “Remember I hat all persons —pedestrians, cyclists, persons leading or driving animals and the drivers of motor and horse-drawn vehicles—have a -right to use the highway and an obligation to respect the eights of others.” PATERNAL PRECEPTS Reading on still further one can almost sec-Mr Herbert Morrison, the Transport Minister, enunciating .with a paternal air the precept: “Bear in mind the difficulties of others and try not to

add to them.” After that a really useful paragraph a little farther down urging road users to “take special care in had weather when the roads aro greasy and all road users have loss control over their movements,” comes almost as an anticlimax. It is only possible to lake the Highway Code seriously when these generalities are concluded and we come down to business. The first thing to note when that stage is reached is that a now rule of (he road is introduced for led animals. Instead of being led on the right of the road horses and other animals must now conform (o the ordinary flow of traffic, and he led on the left of the road. The Code warns us that pome people, especially in the country, may take sumo time to change age-long habits, and road users must therefore still be prepared to meet animals being led on to tiio right of the load. 'This change in the rule of the road relating to animals is to bo welcomed, if only for the sake of novices at the wheel, to whom the speetaele of horses coming along on Iho “wrong side of the road” has often been disconcerting. “Friends of the Horse” and “Animal Lover” will probably write indignant letters to the papers about the change, but it seems a wise tiling to mako all traffic go one way. CONDUCT AT CROSS-ROADS Tin; provisions of the Code specially directed In (lie drivers of motor vehicles embody all the hitherto unwritten driving. rules, such as overtaking in safety giving the appropriate signals, and not cutting in. These are too well known to re<|iiire emphasis. With the conduct to he observed by drivers at cross roads the Code deals somewhat unsatisfactorily. It is stated in the Code that no vehicle has a. right of way at cross roads, but traffic on a “major” road lias priority over traffic on a "minor” road, and that it is the duty of a driver on a minor road when approaching a, major road to go dead-slow and to give way to traffic on it. There is nothing the matter with this rule in itself, for it is obviously desirable that there should he some understanding as to which driver has the riglit'ol wav at a cross road. But in practice two difficulties arise. The first is that it is not always possible to say which is a “major” road and which a “minor” road. At many cross roads the roads have an equal importance from the point of view of traffic

density. Tho provisions in the Code can therefore only bocomo applicable if all minor roads, at a. suitable distance from their junction with the major roads, aro definitely, signposted. To the host of my recollection tho lransporl Commission referrod to this difficulty in one of their reports, and recommended a standardised sign denoting that a road was a minor road. If the Code is to become operative local authorities will require to erect such signs near all road junctions in their areas. The Transport Minister is empowered to make grants for this purpose from the Road Fund. REVERSING HINTS Now and again the Code gives some excellent driving hints. The paragraph relating to reversing should bo read with diligence by now drivers and even by more experienced ones. Observation of flic driving ot' many motorists suggests that a number do not yet know tho fundamentals of successful reversing. It is for their benefits that the Code suggests that no attempt should he made lo turn a vehicle round unless this tan be done in one movement or unless the driver can see that tho road is clear for a good distance in both directions. As tho Code stales, it is generally simpler to go to the nearest side-road or entrance, hack into it and then retrace one’s way. In such a case the driver should always back into the minor road or entrance and coino forwanl ii.ito the major road. One of the provisions of the Code that is open to considerable criticism is the liberty which it apoarenllv confers upon pedestrians to signal. On the surface it seems desirable that pedestrians should give li Hid signals similar to those used hv drivers of motor vehicles, hut Iho practice may only had to confusion and abuse. Frivolous persons will see in this permission an excellent opportunity for annoying motorists ' l>» putting m> their hands to make them slop, after the manner of a fra file policeman, while the village idiot will signal a car to pass him on the right and then dance to the left, like a will o’ the wisp luring to disaster. Fortunately the Code is only in draft form and the Transport Minjsler has invited suggestions for its improvement. 'i’he sort of Code that is desired must ho free from all generalities and must write down the hitherto unwritten rules of tho road in a concise and clear manner. The draft Codo is not entirely successful in these respects.