CONTROL OF TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20598, 24 June 1930, Page 11

CONTROL OF TRAFFIC.

REVISION OF RULES URGED* SIMPLIFYING REGULATIONS. STRICTER TESTS FOR DRIVERS. The need of a general revision of tlia motor regulations in the direction o£ making them simpler and more positive was urged by Mr. J. Laird at tins weekly luncheon of the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday, when he gave an address on motor accidents. He advocated the control of all classes of traffic using the loads, including pedestrians, and the provision of regulations which were based on the fact that the average speed of motor traffic at the present was 30 miles an hour. Mr. Laird said it seemed to be generally held that the cause of road accidents was speed, but others claimed that it was the carelessness of moiorists, and those opinions were freely expressed. Personally he considered that the present motor regulations were largely responsible for many of the accidents. Lacking understanding, any rules could not be enforced, and the regulations needed simplification. The present position was like a game of football where of the 30 players fivo were physically and mentally unfit to play, only five knew the rules thoroughly, and the referee placed his own interpretation on the rules or did not enforce them because he thought they were of no value. At the same time, many pedestrians were like onlookers wandering on the field of play without control. Burden on Average Motorist. It was frequently thought that insurance companies were called on to pay for all the damage and waste caused by accidents. but this argument was fallacious. The average motorist was called on to pay a premium of £l2 a year, or 5s a week, just to protect the lawbreaker frum his folly. The motorists were the only section of the community which was required to do this. Last year car.owner 3 hail been forced to furnish £200,C00 for third-party risk purposes to p elect others. Insurance did not give full protection, continued Mr. Laird, the third-party risk not covering the passengers in the car nor any damage which might be caused to property and in respect of which there might be a claim. The third-party insurance had proved a boomerang in one respect, as it had tended to spread a feeling of carelessness amc-ng a certain section of motorists, and the claims in respect of damages for personal injuries had mounted from an average of from £2OO to £250 a few years ago to from £2COO to £2500. "Twenty years ago rules of the roa4 were unnecessary," continued Mr.. Laird, " It took six hours a few years ago to go from Auckland to Hamilton, while motorists can now make the journey in about 2j hours to three hours, and it is not thought to be an unreasonable speed, nor does anyone think it is dangerous.However, our rules are unchanged from the 15 miles an hour speed, while present traffic is moving at a 30 miles an hour average." The Question of Speed.

The present regulations were not obeyed or enforced because no one thought that they were entirely reasonable. To make an average of 50 miles an hour safe positive rules were necessary. There was only one rule that was universally obeyed, that of keeping to the left, and without it no motorist could drive at even five miles an hour in Queen Street.

A speed of 50 miles an hour was equal to 45 feefc a second, and with four-wheel brakes a vehicle required 60 feet in which to pull up. This meant that a motorist was unable to stop from that speed in less than about 105 feet, allowing time to both think and act. An older model car with only rear-wheel brakes would require a third greater distance. If a pedestrian crossed in front of a car travelling at that speed the consequences were likely to be fatal. The best rule of all was the maritime rule, wliich was positive and was universally obeyed, said Mr. Laird. Two liners travelling at 20 knots and requiring a mile to stop did not slow down when they met each other, but obeyed a well-known regulation. Similar rules should be applied to road traffic to embrace ail moving bodies on all roads, and all offenders against them should be punished. _lt had been noticed that when motorists who were charged with intoxication were punished with "certainty there had been a decline in the number of offences. Tests For Drivers.

Mr. Laird aiso referred to the tests imposed prior to the issue of driving licences. *' A motorist should be St phvsically and mentally to drive a car and should have a thorough knowledge of the rules," he declared. At present the tests are only for the elementarv manipulation of cars and a knowledge of the hand signals. If the examination proves too hard for drivers they go where where it is easier a licence." In conclusion. Mr. Laird outlined a number of reforms which he considered were necessary. An urgent revision of the motor regulations to cover all traffic, including pedestrians, who were allowed to move all over the road without gi\mg any indication of their intentions, was required, and the new rules should be rigidlv enforced. Driving tests should be stricter, while both motorists and pedestrians should be educated in the neT rules and in traffic dangers.