PREVENTING ACCIDENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS

GREATER CARE ESSENTIAL.

BEHAVIOUR ON THE ROADS

The alarming frequency with which serious motoring accidents are occurring in New Zealand, makes it more essential than ever before that drivers of all typos of vehicles should exercise duo care on tho roads. Even in a small country like New Zealand, fatal accidents arc so common that the}' causo little more than passing comment from tho general public,• and the majority of motorists proceed in their careless ways with the cheerful belief that while others may strike disaster, they will not do so. There are very few drivers who seem to realise that moro than casual care is needed, and that although they themselves may be capablo of handling their cars in an emergency, there aro many foolhardy motorists who may collide with them and causo a serious accident.

In tho interests of safer motoring, all drivers should make a practice of considering other people, and if this were done, theru would certainly be a significant decrease in tho number of serious accidents on the roads. Considering others would mako drivers keep a lookout for somebody elso coming round a corner on tho wrong side, and bo be an added safeguard for themselves, while it would also afford additional protection for pedestrians who might in turn Le injured by a motor-car. Rights of the Road.

In New Zoabnd tho standard of driving among motorists in general is fairly good, and most drivers riavo at least a rudimentary knowledge of traffic control regulations. It is, however, a serious mistake to believe that every other motorist has as good a grasp of rules of tho road as oneself, and this unreasoning idea that every road user has equal knowledge, ability and road courtesy, has been the cause of a large number of accidents. Some motorists, as soon as they get behind the wheel, believe that they have certain rights on the road, and proceed to assert themselves and obtain those rights at any cost. Particularly among novice drivers, there is a peculiar obstinacy which causes such drivers to be over-quick in resenting an apparent breach of road regulations by somebody else.

The driver who sees another vehicle approaching a littlo off-side and yet refuses to givo way a fraction to allow the other man to pass in safety, is usually acting on an idea which might lie summarised into " 110 should not be on this side of the road, and fco I am not going to move." This sort of thing is only inviting trouble. The driver who is approaching n. little off-side may have some very good reason for doing so, such as having swerved suddenly to avoid u pedestrian walking on the road-side, and to refuse him passage is not only the height of discourtesy, but is also wilfully endangering both him and yourself. The road regulations as issued by most motoring organisations are very good items to know thoroughly, hut some discretion must be exercised in putting them into operation.

Causes of Accidents. ]n nearly every case where an accident }ins occurred, it can bo definitely traced to one of a few causes. One or other, or perhaps hot!) of the drivers concerned, may have been guilty of an error of judgment; they have lieen been careless 111 their driving, careless in overhauling their cars so that some vital part has givyti way at a crucial moment, or lastly, there may have been an unforseen development which did not give either driver any time io extricate himself from the predicament. It. is regrettably true that the majority of accidents are- caused by carelessness, v.hich covers practically the whole gamut of motoring faults. Carelessness includes dangerous speeding, cutting in, blind cornering and a host of other faults, some of which every driver is guilty of at one time or another. The only difference between the driver who is careless and escapes and the one who is careless and is caught, is that one has been lucky, and continued carelessness will invariably living trouble sooner or later. Errors of judgment, are more common among novices than among more experienced drivers, and for that reason alone, novices would bo well advised to drive slowly so that in the event of misjudgment, they will have more time to right matters. There is little excuse for an error of judgment in a driver of any long standing, .ft should not take long for a driver to become used to his car, and to know exactly how quickly it will stop, and how fast it will accelerate to get out of danger. Judging distance is an essential part of safe motoring, and this is one of the principles of " rond sense." Sometimes it is difficult to tell just bow fa«t another ear is approaching, and whether there is time to pass a vehicle in front without inconveniencing the approaching car, but experience will soon bring the necessary knowledge in Ibis respect. Inefficient Brakes. I'Vw motorists realise that it is an offence to base inefficient brakes on a car, but almost every day minor accidents occur which could have been averted if the brakes had been properly atlt-nded to. There is absolutely uo excuse for the motorist who deliberately uses a vehicle which he knows to have inefficient brakes, lie is ;tt once, a menace to the safely of other road-users, and may be (he means of causing an accident by colliding with somebody else. Accidents certainly will happen, but there is no need for the present prevalence of serious smashes. A National Safety Week was recently held with conspicuous success in England, and a similar scheme might be tried in New Zealand to great advantage.

In New Zealand, pedestrians out-numbei motorists by approximately nine to one, and it. should lie pointed out. that, they have the first ri-lit. on the mad.