THE RIGHT-HAND RULE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20595, 20 June 1930, Page 14

THE RIGHT-HAND RULE.

Sir,—Some little lime ago after returning from a trip to Canada, I brought before the notice of the secretary of the Auckland Automobile Association a rule with reference to motor traffic which is rigidly enforced in that country. The rulo is that "every motor vehicle coming from a side road must become stationary on a lino before proceeding on to a main arterial road." I mado inquiries from officials there, and was informed that this rulo had the effect of considerably reducing tho number of accidents A motorist committing a breach of this rule is fined, I think, one pound for first offence and two pounds for second. It might at first be considered irksome to motorists to observo the rulo, but, like stopping behind stationary trams, they would very soon get accustomed to it. Until this rule is adopted here, and it may equally apply to level crossings, we will have our usual number of appalling accidents. E. A. Dahgavilli. Sir,—l entirely agree with "Observant's" letter regarding the right-hand rule as applied to intersections between main and by-roads. New Zealand is now coping with a traffic problem which has outgrown many of its present regulations, and it is high time we mado ourselves up-to-date as a first step to preventing so many bad accidents. I have just returned from a 5000-mile motor tour of tho United States and was impressed by some of their traffic rule. o , chiefly the "Boulevard Stop." A notice board placed on the by-road compels tlie few who come from that direction to stop before joining the main road traffic. This enables the side motorist tc take a good view of the main road, and if another motorist is on the main road and within about 200 yds. of him, he will wait till the other has passed. Here in New Zealand just the opposite is the case. The main road traffic is cautioned every' littl*/ while to look out for side traffic, and a? though thero might bo 50 cars on tho main road to one from the side, that onw has every right to shoot out as ho pleases. He' even might not know he is approaching a main road, thero being no notico on tho side route. A schoolboy of ten years would say without hesitation which road should use the caution, the side road as in the States, not tho main, as here. Of course, off main roads, where thero are intersections between roads of equal value, then tho right-hand rule is proper. Since landing in the South Island last October, I have been struck by the number of accidents of a bad character which have* taken place on main and side road intersections, and if anyone who reads this will keep the same thing in mind they will havo further proof from time to timo of tho crying need of protecting all arterial roads. C.F.P.