HEAVY MOTOR VEHICLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 16 May 1941, Page 2

HEAVY MOTOR VEHICLES

MAXIMUM SPEED EXCEEDED When a truck driver, Alfred John McKenzie, appeared in the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., on a charge of driving a heavy motor vehicle at a speed in excess of the maximum of 25 m.p.h, provided for such vehicles, he claimed that unless drivers went a little over the speed limit they would soon lose their jobs. The Magistrate remarked that if that was the case he thought the Traffic Inspector should have a word with the employer. The case was brought by the Traffic Inspector, Mr L. R. Stringer, who said that he had checked the speed of two heavy trucks travelling along Wakefield Quay. The trucks, which were loaded and would weigh about eight tons, were both doing 39 m.p.h. McKenzie claimed that nine out of ten trucks exceeded the speed limit, and the Magistrate remarked that he was inclined to agree with him. Defendant was convicted and fined £1 10s, costs 10s. An identical charge was brought against the driver of the second truck, Rex Tall. Tall claimed that although he might have allowed his speed to creep up to 30 m.p.h. he was not travelling at anything approaching 39 m p.h. He had tested his speedometer or the two-mile straight at Appleby and found it to be correct. The traffic inspector pointed out that the measured two miles provided a mileage test, but did not test a vehicle’s speed. A stop-watch would be needed to do that. Tall was also convicted and fined £ 1 10s, costs 10s.