TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18543, 2 May 1922, Page 8

TRAFFIC BY-LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir W r hilc through the medium of the press the subject of Traffic By-laws is still fresh in the public mind, one would like to enlarge upon the really deplorable state of traffic management in Dunedin. There are certain -vital by-laws which the police would do well to enforce, instead of wost-, ing their time judging (however accurately ') whether a motor vehicle is travelling at six, or at seven, miles per hour past an intersection !

If the traffic regulations in this quite busy city are to lie brought to a state even near perfection, the following points must be observed: 1. It is essential (although evidently not customary) to extend the right hand, as an indication to vehicles, both approaching and following, that the driver is about to turn, oi to enter an intersecting street on his right hand side. 2. A corner must be taken “square”— i.e., in turning the comer, one must keep as far’over to his left-hand side as possible. 5. A vehicle must not be stopped pointing in the opposite direction to the flow qt traffic on that side of the road, 'nils is common sense, for in disobeying thjs law, the driver must make a flagrant breach of the “rule of the road,” both in arriving at his stopping place and in starting from it. For example, a vehicle travelling towards Knox Church, and wishing to stop at the D.S.A., must travel past the shop a short distance, extend his hand, and then turn completely round, so that when he stops, his vehicle will be pointing city-wards. On no account may lie cross straight over, in which case he would be a menace to citybound traffic, both in stopping asd starting. One feds safe in saying that not one per cent, of drivers observes this point. . 4. In New Zealand it is the “rule of the road” that u driver keeps his vehicle as far over to lus left-hand side as is possible. 5. The vehicle in the main road has the right of precedence—i.c,/me may not “out in” from an intersecting street in front of a vehicle traversing the main road. One sees this rule broken many tinirs daily ! 6. When a vehicle Is drawn up alongside the kerb, it should be parellel to the footpath, and therefore, as close as possible to if. thus offering no obstruction to traffic. The alcove rules appeal to the common sense of all. Why are they not observed? Above all, why are thev not enforced? One has seen a few, and heard of more, accidents due to a neglect of extending the hand —and one wonders how on. earth there are not more ! , Last Thursday afternoon, one noticed a motor cyclist travelling up Stuart street towards the Octagon at a very reasonable pace. On turning (well into bis left-band side) into the left-hand wing of the Octagon, lie was affronted by a luggage van being driven round the corner in the opposite direction, hard over on to its right-hand side. Only very narrowly was a collision averted; two constables were standing by the corner, and so far as one could judge at the time, no notice was taken by either of them of this breach of so vital a rule. Coming from Auckland, whore the traffic is so well managed, and by-law* are so strongly enforced, one cannot help but, notice the lamentable slate in Dunedin. It is not so much in fast travelling, as in failing to observe the “rules of the road,” that the danger (for such it is) lies. As nn example of this, in Auckland, during the late influenza epidemic, medical inert laterally “scorched” to cases -the police stationed on “point” duty even hurrying them on--vet there wore no accidents, and I am sneaking of a city much larger and busier than Dunedin. _ May I ask those responsible for traffic management here,— Why.-—I am. etc., Spfho MeliorA. Dunedin. April 26.