NIGHTMARES ? WHAT THE MOTORIST HAS TO CONTEND WITH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 June 1939, Page 7

NIGHTMARES ?

WHAT THE MOTORIST HAS TO CONTEND WITH

RISKS RUN ON THE ROADS A NIGHT DRIVE TO TAKAKA The following are some details, true in all respects, of a local motorist's re- | cent night drive to Takaka and give j some idea of the terrors of the road which the motorist has to put up with. Leaving Nelson about dark the run was normal out to Stoke, but between there and Richmond ... a number of cycles were over- I taken, some without reflectors and i some without white painted rearguards. In some instances cycles were two abreast but in others the riders dropped into “line ahead in single file” in the interests of safety. PEDESTRIANS STILL WALKING ON LEFT SIDE Throughout the drive from Stoke to Motueka, several pedestrians were en- j countered and in all cases they were | walking on the left of the road, where i they are most likely to be run down , from behind. Possibly it is less painful to be run down in that way. It is i certainly more likely to happen. In the Lower Moutere two adults j were wheeling a pram, but here j (though walking on the left) care was' shown as a torch was being used to; show their presence to other road users. IN MOTUEKA Near the powerhouse in Motueka was a plain case of attempted suicide. Two men in dark clothes were walking side by side on the left of the bitumen strip and these pedestrians came very near to being knocked down from behind. Certainly the footpath was under repair but this should not warrant walking on the bitumen some eight feet I from the kerb on the wrong side of the | road. Right in the centre of Motueka was one of the prize cases of crazy road ' using, but there was some humour also ■ as the lad who was roller skating out on i the centre of the bitumen fell heavily, but in such a way as to cause himself the least injury, in his wild scuttle to get off the road.

Seriously speaking, we do feel that something should be done about skating in main streets after dark. TAKAKA HILL The run over the Takaka Hill was without incident, but a number of cattle were encountered straying on the West road, some five miles out of Takaka. It has been reported that this is by no means an uncommon occur-; ence of late, and one wonders if the owner of the beasts is a car owner and, if he is, has he ever had to swerve at night to miss a cow on a country road. The final "obstacle” was a young girl , gaily making her way down the middle of the road on the outskirts of Takaka with a skipping rope! And so ended something in the nature of a ”night_ mare” run to Takaka after sun down 1 Can we wonder at the accident rate j on our highways?