MOTORISTS IN COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18965, 12 March 1925, Page 11

MOTORISTS IN COURT.

MANUKAU ROAD SPEEDING. SEQUEL TO TRAFFIC TRAP. SEVERAL FINES IMPOSED. A trap arranged by the city tfiiU'u; department over a measured quarter-mile in Manukau lload resulted in several fines being imposed by Mr. J. W. I'oy utou, S.M., in the .Police Court, yesterday for dangerous driving. The chief (rathe inspector, .Mr. C, 1!. Hogan, prosecuted. Harold 0. Lane, who was stilted to have driven his car at <lO miles an hour, was fined t5 and costs, while L. Allen, whose Speed was estimated at 30 miles, was fined £2 and costs. Two motor-cyclists, E. J. Hollis and Charles Morgan, were each fined £2 and costs, their respective speeds being 33 and 32 miles an hour. Fines of CI and costs were inflicted in the rases of C. "I". Btt.ts, who passed it stationary tramcar in Ponsonby Road, ant! H. T. Wuthew, for having no front number.plate on his car. O. A. .Miller, for cutting a corner, was fined £1 and fll 13s costs, and W. C. Warwick was ordered to pay £3 and £2 5s costs for negligent driving. TAKAPUNA PROSECUTION FAILS. THE USE OF STOP WATCHES. A charge of exceeding the speed limit at Takapuna was preferred against Lockie Cannon (Mr. Northcroft). Mr. F. Laurie appeared for the Borough Council. Inspector Wheeler said that on January 29, Gannon drove his motor-car over • a marked stretch of ten chains on Victoria lload at a .speed of 33 miles an hour. He calculated the speed by means of his stop watch. Gannon passed over the stretch in 13A seconds. His colleagues, who signalled him as Gannon enteral on to the stretch, had no stop watches to verify the time. Mr. Northcroft said that on this occasion the other occupants of Gannon's car knew of the trap and told Gannon, who .slowed down to a very low speed, realising that Wheeler would be ready to cause trouble if he could. No one was more surprised than Gannon when he received the summons. It appeared that Wheeler was determined to have Gannon prosecuted. Gannon said he approached the trap, from Clifton Road, at a speed of ' from 15 to 16 miles an hour. One of his companions drew his attention to Wheeler and he slowed the car down to about eight miles an hour. Corroborative evidence was given by three companions, who estimated his speed at not more than about eight miles an hour. The Magistrate: These men may have mistaken the speed of the car. Oil the other hand, Wheeler might have made a mistake with the stop watch. That was a simple matter, no matter how careful a man was. In England it was the practice to use two watches. The case would lie dismissed. A second and similar case against Gannon was dismissed.