RECKLESS MOTORISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18471, 7 August 1923, Page 6

RECKLESS MOTORISTS.

A long list of serious accidents, in which pedestrians have been more or less severely injured by motor vehicles, has culminated in the sen tencing to a year's imprisonment of a taxicab driver to whose "wicked negligence" jury and judge attributed the death of a woman run down by his car. All who consider the matter calmly, regarding - the sentence imposed as not oniy punishment for the particular crime, but as a warning -against "sudden and reckless disregard for life and limb," will appreciate the verdict and the judgment in this case as an earnest effort to prevent abuse of the common right to the use of the highway and to maintain such a standard of care by all traffic that movement along and across the city's streets may be safe for all who exercise reasonable care. It cannot be expected that even so sharp a reprimand of negligence will be a completely effective safeguard, and it would be folly to rely upon the Supreme Court as the only means of expressing the community's indig nation at such offences. . Punishment neither repairs injury nor restores life, but such' accidents may be prevented by vigorous and unremitting efforts on the part of all responsible for the regulation of traffic. The power to grant licenses to persons who prove their competence to drive motor vehicles includes the power to cancel licenses , in cases where essential rules are flagrantly' broken or disregard of others' right to use the highway is definitely proved That power should be exercised either by magistrates or by the licensing authorities. And probably the first step toward a stricter enforcement of safety measures should be the joining in active co-operation of local government authorities and ' of such organisations as the Automobile Association. Those who habitually :drive V; reck-

lessly are , few in• number, but they are not easily: distinguished "by casual observation, arid' any indifference fon .'-title part' iof v the 'general body of : < motorists • toward efforts ;to suppress;. the :;:- evil ' ; ; will '■ inevitably create a 'misconception 'of their, attitude ; toward J both offenders; arid vie : tims; : -Already' there is a tendency to draw a line between motorists and pedestrians, with ;an invidious distinction against the, former. This may indeed 1 have been r encouraged by a somewhat injudicious administration of the traffic laws, which has resulted in the prosecution of many persons for technical offences, while grave offences are apparently officially ignored. The authorities, ho doubt, have ;! good reason for insisting upon the scrupulous observance of every by-law, but their task would be easier if they devoted themselves to the elimination of actual dangers to public safety by insisting upon a high standard of care not only by the majority, but by all, motorists, and in every case of disregarded warning, cancelling the license to drive. ■■: - "..:.; : ' ' •/■