TAKING- " CLOSE SHAVES."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18708, 14 May 1924, Page 10

TAKING- " CLOSE SHAVES."

PRACTICE BY MOTORISTS. . • y•*>.Vv£._ yvv-. . - ;-r. - JUDGE'S * SEVERE COMMENT "v• >• i.r>*-■?"•••-- ; V-? r r. • ~ . The ethics of. the road came under sharp* judicial review in the Supreme, Court yesterday, before Mr. Justice ' Stringer, in / the case in which a young taxi-driver was being tried on a charge of manslaughter, arising out of the death of a constable as the " result of . a collision alleged to have been "due to his negligent driving. Mr. W. ! S. - Miller, motor, engineer, in the course of, his evidence, said that a chauffeur frequently drove within two or three inches of an object ahead of him. It was - done on the road, every: day, and 'he thought -it was quite justified, especially when the other object was another vehicle ■ travelling in the same direction. > '! Do you, as a professional driver," - asked Mr. ; Justice Stringer, '.'say that • that is • a proper thing to do?" ... ' "A good driver," answered the witness, ■.** jthould be able to do it." ' . . '"Perhaps," -said His Honor, "he ihould be able to' do it. ; What we are asking is whether you consider it a reasonabb thing .to do." v !.. '" u '•* ( " If both' objects are going in the same direction," persisted the witness, "it is $aite a safe thing to do." ' ' ' M 11} is not a safe ; thing to do." re-' turned ,th 3 Judge severely, " because we Bee that in this instance ,it has killed a •manr*' • I'. ) , - '■! ( 1,1 But in this ' instance, V the witnquj jjorstfed; " th§2sr-;E&s something protruding from the car. that the driver did not see." , id -:"/ >'~ '■ : v-\- " You :■ • suggest," said His Honor, " that he went so close to the cart that he did not observq there was an outrigger on it? Do you think that '? is careful • driving?" - Witness: I agree 1 that that was bad ; judgment. But it , happens with every driver—happens every day.' ; v • " In that case the sooner wo hang a few drivers the better," was.His Honor's final contribution to the dialogue.