MORE STREET DEATHS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19957, 28 May 1928, Page 6

MORE STREET DEATHS.

INCREASE IN BRITAIN. TOTAL OF 5328 LAST YEAR. RISES IN ALL CAUSES. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. An increase of « early 10,000 traffic accidents in which people were killed or injured in Great Britain is shown in a Government White Paper giving statistics for 1927. The total number of road accidents reported by the police during that year was 133,943, as against 124,287 in the . previous yc&r. Of this number 5195 accidents were fatal. The number of persons killed also shows an increase—from 4886 to 5329. The number of accidents caused by mechanicallypropelled vehicles was 105.465—an increase, of 8721 over the 1926 figure. By far the largest class of vehicles appearing: in the detailed figures is that comprising private cars and taxicabs, to which were attributed 43,193 accidents. Motor-cycles come next, with a total of 33,677. Motor-vans and lorries were concerned in 15,378 accidents, pedal cycles in 23,558, motor omnibuses and coaches in 7402, and electric tramcars and trolley omnibuses in 5813. Motor omnibuses and coaches share with horse-drawn vehicles the distinction of a drop in the number of accidents in which they were involved during 1927. All other classes contribute varying rises to the aggregate increase. Question of Pillion Dangers. A fact of distinct interest in relatiou to .the question of "pillion dangers" is that less than a quarter of. the solo motorcycles involved in accidents carried pillion passengers. The respective figures were: With pillion passengers, 6980; without pillion passengers, 21,126; with sidecars, 5571. The number of persons killed irf accidents involving private cars and taxicabs was 1509, and in the case of motoromnibuses and coaches, 613. The number of persons killed or injured totalled 153,904, an increase of 15,130 compared with the preceding year. Meanwhile 449 people were killed in traffic accidents in Paris last year. The Prefect of Police states that in 61 cases out of a hundred the accident was proved to be the victim's own fault. A writer in the Morning Post says:— "It is a fact that is not generally recognised by the traffic authorities that many accidents are caused by persons or vehicles which are not actually involved in the accident at aIL This is one of the reasons why accident statistics are so misleading, as in the report of the accident only the vehicles actually in the 'crash* get a black mark placed against them, while the cause of all the trouble escapes uninjured and unnotified. This is particularly true of London traffic conditions and many an accident goes down against an omnibus which skids on to the pavement due to the foolish action of some smaller vehicle, or even of a pedestrian which it was trying to avoid. Perils of Delivery Tricycles. "One of the most dangerous vehicles in London streets is the delivery tricycle propelled by a small boy or irresponsible youth. During the last few days I have seen numerous cases in "which these inexperienced boys .have not only courted danger for .themselves but have been a peril to everyone else on the road, and accidents have been avoided only through the good driying 6f the person in charge of the other vehicle concerned. "This fs the sort of thing that happens and is an account of an incident in which I was involved as a pedestrian only the other day. A small boy pedalling a delivery tricycle comes round on the wrong side of an island whistling; a taxicab has to swerve right round him and almost runs np on the pavement, I have to jump to get out of the taxicab's way and cannon into several people on the pavement. Erof use apologies all round follow except from the small boy, who rides on whistling, quite unperturbed by thß havoc Ibe has caused, and still on the wrong side of the road." '