MOTOR IMPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 10 (Supplement)

MOTOR IMPORTS.

RECORD FIVE MONTHS. lbe value of motor vehicles imported into New Zealand for the first five months of this year was £1,887,399. This was comprised of motor-cars and chassis valued at £1,618,421, and commercial vehicles and omnibuses valued at £268,978. For the first five months of 1926 there were 10,499 cars and chassis imported, so that there is every promise that the year's total will exceed 20.000 as compared with 18,825 cars for 1925. The origin of the car imports for the five months January to May, is as follows : Passenger Cars. Value. No. a Canada 5.168 592,761 United States . . . . 3,954 702,484' United Kingdom . . 1.165 287.128 Italy .. 148 25,308 France 61 9,572 Belgium 3 1,168 Totals for 5 tilths. .. 10,499 £ 1,6.18,421

OFF-SIDE RULE. The " off-side " or right-hand rule for traffic meeting at crossings is being adopted by various authorities in New Zealand who have taken their cue from Auckland. The efforts of motorists in Great Britain have not met with such success, and there is still opposition to this certain safety measure. The Automobile Association of Great Britain has advocated the " off-side " rule for several vears aftef considering alternative " near side" or left-hand proposals and main road rights. Many British motorists have -unconsciously observed the right hand rule for some years. Critics of the " off-side " rule complain that if four cars meet at a crossing the " off-side " rule would stop them all. The Automobile Association meets this with the declaration that this is actually a good point. It is very reasonably pointed out that if four cars met at a crossing and there was not rule for their guidance, trouble would be certain to ensue if each driver assumed the right to proceed. The " off-side " rule brings them all to a stop and even if a, slight delay occurs while they signal to each other, they can do no damage.

A.A.A. AGENCIES. The agency system of the Auckland Automobile Association has proved a signal success. At the annual meeting of the A.A.A. last week several members of the executive of 1907 were present. They were unanimous in attributing the recent remarkable increases in membership to the establishment of agencies and the organisation of the service. Credit for the initiation of the agency system must be given to the secretary, Mr.' G, W. Hutchison.

ACTIVITIES OP THE A.A.A. Inspection has been made of a copy of the new A.A.A. map of the North Auckland district. It has been especially compiled for motorists, and every road over which summer travel can be advised is indicated with detail. Clay roads are marked in red, and particular attention has been paid to the location of road junctions. In this respect the map has all the values of a guide book, and motorists will no longer have difficulty at unposted junctions. The exits from each town are shown. Practically every road has been personally covered by the A.A.A. service officer, and information supplementing the map is availabl? to members. A second section of the map, covering the southern part of the Noi-th Island, - is nearing completion, and both sections will be available shortly.

SIGNPOSTING. The A.A.A. service officer >has placed about 60 signs during the week on the Ngaruawahia-Whatawhata-Raglan Road and the Hamilton-Raglan Road. Others will be erected shortly. •

NOTES. The British Automobile Association has a staff of 100 in its touring information bureau.

Railroad-owned omnibus services are growing in the United States. The buses either replace non-paying branch railway lines or serve as feeders to areas which could not support an adequate train servicer

Identification cards are being issued to members of the Auckland Automobile Association. When requiring information from the service department, or from agents, members will be required to produce the cards".

Over 1400 omnibuses are providing services on a total of 350 routes in the State of Ohio, U.S.A. In the city of Cincinatti there are 204 omnibuses in service. Ihey run over 42 routes, and carry about 45,000 passengers a day.

Several South Island motorists have recorded good long distance times running under the observation of the South Island Motor Union from Picton. Seven drivers accomplished 482 miles in 22 hours, and two did 500 miles in less than 24 hours. The best performance recorded in the South Island was the Picton-Bluff trip of 704 miles 20 hours, accomplished by Messrs. W. S. Miller and G. Smith, of Auckland, in February, 1&20. .