ROAD TRAFFIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24024, 23 July 1941, Page 6

ROAD TRAFFIC

MARKED DECREASES NEW VEHICLES AND ACCIDENTS (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday A decrease of 22 per cent in the volume of traffic on the roads in 194041, compared with tfoat for the previous year, was recorded in the annual report of the Transport Department, presented to the House of Representatives to-day. A reduction in. all types of fatal accidents except collisions with pedestrians was also reported. A heavy drop in the number of new motor vehicles oil the road was disclosed, New registrations, representing mainly hew vehicles, for cars dropped from 18,107 in 1939 to 6755 in 1940, trucks declined from 9849 to 7069, and motor-cycles from 1814 to 1727. All elates of motor vehicles licensed at March 31 last totalled 313,087, a decrease of 1.4 per cent on 1940. Persons killed on the roads numbered 199, and 3950 were injured. These figures represent respective decreases of 20 per cent and 26 per cent. New statistics showed that young drivers were' involved in more accidents than older drivers. Motorists warned regarding traffic offences numbered 38,000. compared with 53,000 in the previous year. Substantial expansions in business for all classes of public road transport were reported. A further falling off in the number of passengers and tie amount of mail oarried by commercial aircraft m 1940 compared with 1939 was shown. The total mileage flown fell from 1,950,000 to 762,000.