A QUESTIONABLE CHECK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20520, 22 March 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

A QUESTIONABLE CHECK.

'/speed; estimation.;

'• » ■ r- \ : There seems to bo a growing tendency on the part of country local bodies to estimate -the speed of motorists from a pursuing car. In a country court recently, an (inspector stated that when riding a motor-cycle at 40 miles an hour, he kept his eye on the speedometer for a distance of half a mile and was quite sure that , the' needle did not vary.

'Anyone who has ridden a motor-cycle oh a lose surface road and particularly on the one which was described by the inspectors being rough and dangerous for motor-cars at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour, can realise just what a menace a motor-cyclist would be on such a road if he did not keep his eyes ahead and observe any other traffic that might be approaching. The duty of a traffic inspector should be to control traffic and to induce motorists to travel reasonably.

The practice under discussion more often, than not encourages motorists being overtaken to increase their speed and commit'an offence. The inspector operating this of trap is forced to travel at a higher rate of speed than the offending motorist and if it is his considered opinion that the offender is driving in a manner which might be dangerous to the public, how much more dangerous must be the conduct of the inspector who not only has to drive his C3r or motor-cycle, but is forced to take his eyes off the road in order to record the reading of his speedometer. Surely such a practice receive the approval of responsible representatives of the public. How much more effective and how. much more appreciated would be the issuing of a warning to first offenders that their speed was in excess of what was considered scafe at that particular j portion of the road. The spirit of cooperation between . the motorist and the : authorities as exists in Auckland City and the surrounding suburbs has borne gopd results, and no longer does the rfiotorist regard a traffic inspector as an enemy and someone to be avoided. The direct result can be traced to the Magistrate's Courf, where recently the chief traffic inspector was congratulated on the good behaviour of the motorists of Auckland. The suggestion is made to outside local bodies that the practice of warning first offenders would produce much more beneficial results than the present system. , A.A.A. PATROL. Th 6 following is an amended itinerary of the tour of the A. A.A. Patrol, who will attend at the undermentioned towns on the dates specified for the purpose of adjusting headlights on members' cars to comply with the Motor Regulations. (Members, of the A. A. A. are not charged for this service): — ' Dargaville, Tuesday, March 25; Kinkopuni Pukehuia, Dargaville, Wednesday, March 26; Ruawai, Thursday, March 27;. Paparoa, Friday, March 28; Wellsford, Monday, March 31; Whangaripo, Pt. Albert, Tuesday, April 1; Tomarata, Mangawai, Wednesday, April 2; Waipu,' Thursday, April 3; Maungaturoto, Friday,. April 4; Auckland, Saturday, Aprp 5. Members are notified that an A.A.. A. patrol will also attend at the undermentioned towns on the_ dates specified for the purpose of adjusting headlights on members' cars:—Piopio, Thursday, April 1 10; Aria, Friday, April .11; Ohuxa, Saturday, April 12; Awakino, Monday,, April 14; Mokau, Tuesday, April 15;' Ie Kuiti, Wednesday, April 16. From Thursday, April 17, to Tuesday, April 22, a patrol will be on duty in the Te Kuiti district for the Easter period. . i AN UNUSUAL ACCIDENT. fi « A -remarkable cause of an accident was 'disclosed in England, at Scarborough, not logg ago when a charge of negligent driving against Alexandre Cousin, was dismissed. It was stated that Cousin's car mounted the footpath in Newborough and knocked down an old man, and afterward crashed into a shop. Mr. P. Whitfield, for Cousin, said that as be. was rounding a corner the car door swung open, and in trying to shut it his foot slipped on to the accelerator pedal and. became wedged, one edge of the boot being under the brake pedal and the other 'against the side of the car. CITY OP PEACE AND QUIET. . ./ ... -• _ - ; In its efforts to make of New York a city, of calmness and quiet, the Noise Abatement Commission is considering the advisability of outlawing numerous shrieks and whistles and of imposing on noise violators a scale of petty fines. For instance,. for conducting a noisy party after midnight the host would be charged eight shillings, and should the tyres of a bus /make that peculiar flapping ring on the pavement, the driver would be fined the same amount. Operators of loudspeakers in homes to the annoyance of neighbours would be liable to an assessment of four shillings, and owners of howling pets to sixpence. It would enable a patrolman to hand h " ticket" to an offender against the ! existing noise-controlling ordinances and j would direct the offender to appear at ' the nearest police station. There, if the ] accused should admit his offence, the lieutenant would be empowered to collect j a small fine which would no£ exceed eight shillings, and the offender might < go his way. However, should the defendant deny the offence, the lieutenant < might' serve him with a summons requir- j ing him to appear in a Magistrate's j Court for trial. ,