CARELESS PARKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20626, 26 July 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

CARELESS PARKING.

OFFENCES IN THE CITY.

PREVALENCE IN AUCKLAND,

Tho carelessness and lack of consideration for others which many motorists display in parking their cars, particularly in tho busier areas, is rapidly becoming a serious problem. Untold annoyance may bo caused many other drivers by the momentary thoughtlessness of one road-user. Without the co-operation of all drivers, a stato of harmony between motorists cannot be attained, and it is distressing to have to realise that the bulk of the parking problems in Auckland are caused by a thoughless minority. A strange reluctance to walk even a few yards would appear to be tlio cause of one of the most prominent parking nuisances, the habit of parking two-deep. A motorist, who comes into tlio city to keop an appointment, will very frequently stop his car outside the premises he intends visiting, regardless of the fact that tlio kerb is already lined with cars properly parked. Finding there thoro is no room for his car next to tlio kerb, a driver will stop alongside another car, and without the slightest qualm go inside to keep his appointment. It is possible that his business will take longer than ho had at first anticipated, and all tlio timo his car is blocking tlio road and preventing motorists who have parked properly from getting away from the kerb. Breaches By Women Drivers.

In the matter of parking two-deep, women drivers are very frequent offenders. Almost any day in Queen Street women may be seen arriving in cars at some large store, where perhaps there is a sale in progress, and leaving their cars alongside others. In one particular instance, there is a safoty-zono almost directly opposite tlio entrance to a large shop, and here the doublo parking is at its worst. Two large saloon cars parked side by side occupy a surprising amount of room, and it is often extremely difficult for other traffic, particularly commercial vehicles, to get past. It is often necessary for them to run through the •/.one to clear the parked cars, and when there is a tramcar in tho zone, a momentary traffic block results.

Other places where haphazard parking is extreinoly prevalent aro outside the central post-office, Queen Street, in the " bottle-neck " whore Remtiera Road joins Broadway, at tlio top of Symonds Street near the safety-zone, mid practically the whole length of Karangahape Road. In Newmarket, opposite the safety-zone on the outward tram tracks, parking is permitted, as the road is quite wide, but the privilege is greatly abused. Drivers, who intend stopping for only a few minutes, park their cars head-on to the kerb, leaving the back portions projecting so far that they are a nuisance. Although there is a policeman on duty at tho points at tho busiest hours, that particular portion of Newmarket is the scene of frequent traffic jambs. Drivers who have parked their cars head-on suddenly try to back out against the stream of traffic, and many crumpled mud- j guards result from such careless driving. I

Correct Parking Method

It is remarkable that with the number of drivers in Auckland who consider themselves thoroughly competent, so fow know, or, at any rate, put into practice, tho correct method of parking. The number of cars on the roads is rapidly growing, and it is essential that every driver should know how to park his car quickly and efficiently in the smallest possible space. Tho most common method seen in Auckland is merely to drive along until a space some 20ft. long is noticed between two other cars, drive into the space, and park an equal distance from each of tho other two cars. This method certainly servos in places where space is no object, but will not do if traffic continues to grow as it has been doing recently.

The correct method is to choose a spaco about 4ft. or sft. longer than tho overall length of the car, run nearly past it, then back in, so that tho rear bumper is only a couple of feet from tho front bumper of the car behind. If this method is adopted, it will be found (hat tho car is parked neatly alongside tho kerb, with tho wheels hard over on the righthand lock, so that there is no difficulty in leaving the parking-place. In somo parts of France, this method of parking is enforced by law, and, whiJe this is not tho case in Auckland, it is a broach of tho by-law to park carelessly and a distance away from the kerb. City Council traffic officers have been noting offondors in this respect recently, and, although a certain latitude is allowed, constant breaches are likely to be followed by a summons.

NATIONAL ROADS CONFERENCE.

Tho sending of Mr. A. Tyndall, engineer to the Main Highways Board, to tho forthcoming National Roads conference in the United States, was commented upon during the week by Mr. M. 11. Wynyard, motorists' representative on the Highways Board. He said tho visit also included a tour over certain principal highways in the United States.

" The board considered it advisable that their cngineei, who is a specialist in road construction and maintenance, should attend this conference, in order to keep posted with the latest information and methods regarding roading matters, in tho interests both of the Main Highways Hoard and tho Public Works Department, which contributes so largely toward road construction in Now Zealand," Mr. Wynyard said. " The importance of representation of New Zealand is to a certain extent indicated by the fact that New Zealand is serond in the number of motor-cars per head of population of all nations in the world. It is 11th in the actual number of motorcars per country and it is 381 h in tho actual mileage for formed roads in tho various countries."