FATAL MOTOR MISHAPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 12

FATAL MOTOR MISHAPS.

SYDNEY'S HIGH TOTAL, TALK OF TRAFFIC REFORM. [i-rom our. own correspondent.] SYDNEY, May 15. Even Sydney, somewhat blase nowadays in its attitude toward motor accidents, as .it sidesteps and jazzes with death every minute of the day in the city's maelstrom of traffic, got/ something of a shock a day or two ago to learn that last year 550 people were killed in motor mishaps in tho metropolis, and that more than 5600 people were injured. This tragic roll is due, in some measure, to motor-drivers, and in cases to unnecessary risks taken by pedestrians. The underlying cause of it generally, however, is a traffic problem which has been awaiting effective solution for years, and which is daily becoming worse. Iho mountain of talk in Sydney over the question of traffic reform has not brought forth even the figurative mouse. Sydney is only tinkering and toying with its traffic problem. As long as it adopts a laissez I'airc attitude toward a birr, bold scheme of reform the tragic loss of life will increase. The human aspect apart, procrastination in this matter is a fatuous economic waste, for, however costly new traffic arteries, for example, might bo to-dav, they will be immeasurably more costly tho longer reform is merely talked about.