DANGEROUS DRIVING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20594, 19 June 1930, Page 14

DANGEROUS DRIVING.

TRAFFIC ON RACE DAY.

COURT FINES MOTORISTS.

CIRCUMSTANCES A FACTOR

[ny TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1 PUKEKOHE, Wednesday.

A decision that under UlO circumstances defendants drove in a dangerous manner was given by Mr. F) H. Levien, S.M., in the Puitekoho Police Court to-day in cases in which the traffic inspector for the Main Highways Hoard, Ernest 11, Barrett, proceeded against several defendants. Tiio times wero noted by him over a measured length of the main road at Paerata on March 8, when there was heavy traffic on the road, proceeding to a race meeting at Pukekohe.

In evidence given at the previous sitting of tho Court the inspector said that, besides travelling fast, each of the defendants overtook and passed cither one or moro cars on tho measured length, which extended from tho turn into the Paerata factory to near tho bend on' to tho bridge south of Paerata. The magistrate to-day said that since the last sitting of the Court ho had viewed tho locality. He certainly considered that in tho circumstances it was dangerous for a car to travel over the measured length as fast even as 34 miles an hour, and at the same timo overtake and pass another car. Tho magistrate intimated that the fact that the regulations made it permissible to travel at a speed up to 35 miles an hour on a county road, such as the one in question, was modified by coincident circumstances.

In reference to the challenge by Mr. J. R. Gray," counsel for some of tiie defendants, that tho inspector, or any person, could not time cars accurately over the particular length that constituted the inspector's " trap," tho magistrate said ho had put tho inspector to the test this morning timing three cars over the length. In ono case the inspector's time coincided exactly with tho time taken liy a person in the car, on tho next occasion it was one-fifth of a second out, and on the third occasion two-fifths of a second out. Greater accuracy could hardly be expected over any length. Maurice Kalman, Rupert R. Woodcocks and Edward F. Muir, whose speeds were given as 34 miles an hour, were each fined £1 10s and costs, 10s, and a similar fine, with costs, 12s, was imposed on Colin W. Anderson, whose speed was given as 37j miles an hour. In tho case against John T. Jamieson, 34 miles an hour, Mr. Gray asked .that the fine bo fixed at over £5, to allow of appeal. The magistrate replied that he was not inclined to accede to the request, but would defer fixing the penalty until he had again perused the evidence. In cases first brought forward to-day Walter G. Carew, whoso speed over the measured distance on March 8 was given as 36 miles an hour, was fined £1 10s and costs, 10s, as was also D. Shannon, for driving a service car over the length at 37£ miles an hour, whereas tho maximum speed permitted under tho regulations for a heavy vehicle of that class is 30 miles per hour.