DEATH ON THE ROADS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23013, 16 October 1936, Page 6

DEATH ON THE ROADS

NEW SOUTH WALES STATISTICS 28 PER CENT. MORE FATALITIES (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Oct. 8. Road accidents in New South Wales increased by 11.9 per cent., and fatalities by 28.5 per cent., during the year ended June 30 last, compared with the previous 12 months, although registration of motor vehicles increased by only 4 per. cent. During the year 9833 accidents were reported, resulting .in 519 deaths and 6445 injuries. Speed caused 91 deaths, compared with 69 last year,. and 15 of the 37 deaths caused by careless driving resulted from accidents at intersections. The facts were disclosed in statistics released by the Commissioner for Road Transport (Mr Maddocks). Of the 519 persons killed, 201 (38.7 per cent.) were drivers of vehicles, 154 (29.7 per cent.) were passengers, and 164 (31.6 per cent.) were pedestrians. Speed featured as a cause of 464 accidents, resulting in 91 deaths and 696 injuries, compared with 69 deaths and 463 injuries in the previous year. Accidents from other actions of drivers occurred as follows (number of deaths in parentheses): —Carelessness at intersections, 424 (15); careless driving otherwise. 559 (22); not keeping to left, 279 (30); skidding. 238 (43); overtaking improperly, 219 (12); not giving right of way, 208 (7); intoxicated driver, 145 (26); inexperienced driver, 97 (11). Drivers were responsible for 47.8 per cent, of the causes of accidents, 47 per cent, of the causes of deaths, and 51.2 per cent, of the causes of injuries. The commissioner estimates that, per 1.000,000 vehicle miles, the various classes of motor vehicles were responsible for accidents in the following proportions:—Taxis, 11.9; buses, 5.4; cars. 4.3; lorries, 2.2. Walking or running across the road without due care was the most fruitful cause of accidents to which actions of pedestrians contributed, but stepping into traffic from behind a stationary vehicle caused most deaths. Seventynine per cent, of the persons killed, and 75 per cent, of the injured, were males. Only eight of the 201 drivers killed were women. Over 85 per cent, of the accidents occurred in closelysettled areas, but only 59 per cent, of the deaths.

Commenting on the statistics generally, the commissioner said: "In the light of the publicity that has been given during the last 12 months to the need for restraint and care by all roadusers, the position cannot be regarded as altogether satisfactory."