TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 10 (Supplement)

TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

SPECIAL COURT WARRANTED. It is not unusual foV three-score motorists to he summoned to appear at the Auckland Police Court on a Wednesday tor alleged breaches of by-laws. Inn y cases is only an average list. In more than nine-tenths of the cases fines are im- ! posed, in fact the motorist who puts up I a successful defence is rather a rarity. I The motorist is an easy person to convict | for the simple reason that he can break bv-laws unconsciously, and know nothing until the laborious investigation of the lists of registered owners discloses his : dentity to the police. The police themselves admit that the tracing of cars from the Post Office records is often a matter of over a week. This places the car driver in the unfortunate position of being unable to remember his movements. There are quite a number of instances ! when the number of an offending car is | wrongly recordod. This results in some I prefectly innocent motorist receiving a visit from an official. If his memory is clear he may establish an alibi. On the other hand, the slow processes of the lawmay allege an incident' a month old, and all the motorist can do is to admit that he may have been at the place concerned. A driver may traverse dozens of busy streets daily, and it is rather a tall order to come to him a week after and ask him to prove that he was not the man who cut a corner, exceeded the limit by a fraction, or committed any of the many breaches. When the present system of registration was introduced it was claimed that it would enable any car to be traced with expediency. It has done nothing of the sort. Through lack of centralisation, the number of a car is often referred to several postal districts before finality is reached. It is time some limit was imposed to the period which is allowed to elapse before a motorist is advised that proceedings are to be taken. There are points in favour of the American custom of handing the offending driver a notification on the spot. Motor cycle patrols make this possible. There are' always men on traffic duty free to chase up law breakers. Fines collected from motorists in Auckland run into four figures a year. It is time special provision was made to deal with these cases. Traffic Courts would greatly expedito the work. Such courts should be presided over by a magistrate who is an experienced motorist. Where a driver is prepared to plead guilty the procedure should be simplified. He should tie able to report at a traffic depot, sign a declaration, and pay the usual tariff to a registrar. Since the Auckland City Council is taking over traffic control from the police, the majority of by-law prosecutions will now be conducted by the Chief Traffic Inspector. SIGNBOARDS DESTROYED. The A. A.A. has received reports of the destruction of signboards in one or two localities. One board in particular close to Opotiki has been knocked off several times This offence is regarded as serious, and in the event of the offender being caught a heavy penalty will be. sought. On the assumption that no grownup person would be guilty of such an act the Association asks the headmasters of public schools in country districts to mention the matter to pupils. MURIWAI RACING. The Muriwai Motor Sports Committee has placed a race for midget cars on the programme for the annual race meeting early in 1927. The committee's endeavour to introduce class racing deserves the greatest encouragement. The new event will be a 20-mile race for cars of not more than 1100 c.c. eiigine capacity. Those who have witnesed the fine performances in the previous Light Car Cup races for 1500- c.c. cars will appreciate the value of fostering limited class events. By keeping small cars together, handicapping can be dispensed with. Speeds are more uniform in each race, and skilful driving apd careful tuning count for much. The 1500 c.c. races at Muriwai have always attracted a very good field. The same response cannot be expected for the 1100 c.c. class, owing to the comparatively small number of cars with engines below this capacity. Half-a-dozen cars would, however, provide a contest which would be well appreciated. If enthusiastic owners of midget cars will indulge in a little tuning there is no doubt that a sufficient response should bo received. The Austin Seven, Salmson and FraserNash have been conspicuous in. the class below 1100 c.c on Brooklands track. Other cars which are eligible for this class include the Amilcar, 8.3 h.p.; Citroen, 7.5; Fiat, 8.0; Gwynne, 7.5; Humber, 8.3; Jowett, 7.0; Peugeot, 6.4; Renault, 8.3;/Riley, 9.0; Rover, 8.9; Tvvift, 8.9; Talbot, 8.9. NOTES. There were 1258 trucks, cars and buses imported into New Zealand for the first half of 1926. More than half the tyres imported into New Zealand are of Canadian origin. The Canadian tyre imports for the first six months of this year were valued at £285,413. A bill lo compel cyclists to carry ruby reflectors is row before Parliament. Motorists who are familiar with the dangers of overtaking cyclists will Appreciate this measure. The average cyclist is ;i careless person, and when labouring o>i an up grade is not particular of Ins course. - , . None of the many German cars are represented in New Zealand, but tyres and accessories are coming in slowly. German tyres valued at £973 were imported into the Dominion for the first six months of this year. German materials and accessories imported for the same period were valued at £743. Motor-cycling. Page 12