THE MAN OR THE CAR?

NZ Truth, Issue 1168, 19 April 1928, Page 15

THE MAN OR THE CAR?

Where Does Responsibility For Accidents Lie? TN motor accidents the blame is almost invariably thrown on the machine, but m actual fact it is more often the human element that is at fault.

/CARELESSNESS either on the part V^ of the driver or the pedestrian accounts lor the great majority of accidents and it is only rarely that direct responsibility rests -with the mechanism. In most cases it is a matter of the bad workman always finding: fault with his tools — and it only needs a short drive about the metropolis to reveal the glaring instances of carelessness on the part of motor drivers. Foremost among these offenders are those who either give incorrect signals of their intentions, or fail to give any sigrnals at all. Often we drive behind another car and see itg driver's hand drop lazily over the side with the fingers pointed towards the road, one might be forgiven for thinking there was an underground tunnel to be negotiated, but no, the careless one either turns to the right, stops, or turns to the left. In other words, you gather from the lazy effort made, that the driver of the car ahead intends to do something, but what it is, he alone knows. Accordingly, following traffic must proceed cautiously or else there is a stoppage. Recently, through giving a wrong signal, the driver of a large motor lorry almost doubled the ordinary depreciation of a smart sedan m the city. THE RIGHT OF WAY Notwithstanding the fact that the passenger vehicle had the right of way, the remarks of the "know-all" on the lorry were sufficient to let bystanders know that he had made a study of languages. Drivers should not become slovenly or erroneous m making signals, particularly on the more thickly-used highways, remembering that m the proper use of traffic signs, lies a wealth of safety. Examples of carelessness, or shall we say ignorance, are seen every day even m such a simple, but important point as THE CAR ON THE RIGHT HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY. If motorists would only remember this very necessary regulation, many mishaps and considerable inconvenience would be spared. One day last week, "N.Z. Truth's" motor man was nearly involved m a "mix-up" with a light delivery car. The driver of the vehicle was wearing very thick spectacles of

the magnifying type, and closer investigation disclosed the fact that he was very short-6ighted. This man was working for a living, and to report him to the authorities might only bring about the hardships of losing his job, but that doeß not alter the fact that he is, or rather was (having been promoted to an Indoor position since), a danger on the roads. This opens up another aspect of motor accidents, and one might well ask, what percentage of the present mishaps are due to defective eyesight such as far-sightednesß, near-sighted-ness, astigmatism, and a restricted field of vision. In a failing light, ao-called night-blindness interferes with the quick perceptions of on-coming traffic. Of course, persons blind m one eye have a limited field of vision, and are poor judges of distance. We would have Hmall respect for the judgment of a man who gave his child a loaded gun for a plaything; but is it not equally foolish to allow a man to take a motor vehicle weighing between 30 and 40 cwt. and capable of travelling a mile a minute upon our public highways, without first requiring him to show that he can see so clearly that he is not a menace to the community. DEFECTIVE VISION Nobody would be overcome with grief upon reading that some fool who rocked the boat had succeeded m drowning himself, and if the motorist with defective vision was dangerous to himself alone, it would be a simple matter to let him go the short time necessary until a broken neck removed him from our midst. Any driver knows, however, that the half-blind driver Is as" great a danger to the most careful, as he is to another m his own condition. There are many people driving motors about our streets who see so poorly that it is madness to allow them to continue, but without special legislation there is no way to control this evil. An expert who has made a practical investigation of this subject reports some drivers of motors having vision as low as thirty per cent, of normal m one eye and ten per cent, m the other. He found one chauffeur with only light perception m one eye, and fifty per cent, vision m the other. He also found one man deaf, dumb, with one artificial eye, and with vision m the other eye of but sixty per cent, of normal. How would you like to meet him on a bad road? The railway authorities require semi-annual eye examinations for all their trainmen. Engine-drivers are required to have practically normal vision, although the trains these men operate are on tracks which the train cannot leave and from which the public is fenced or otherwise safeguarded. Surely there Is much reason m the suggestion that to be allowed to drive throughout busy city streets, a man must prove to have visual powers equal to those of the railway engineman.