ROAD SAFETY AND THE MOTOR CYCLIST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23731, 11 February 1939, Page 19

ROAD SAFETY AND THE MOTOR CYCLIST

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —As a motor cyclist who has ridden more than 50,000 miles without an accident in the past five years, 1 have read with considerable interest your references to a suggested speed limit for motor cycles and to the prohibition of pillion riding. I understand that both sides of these proposals are being investigated by the Transport Department at the present time. There is one aspect of the problem which has not been mentioned in your columns, and which appears to many motor cyclists of considerable experience to be perhaps the most vital of the whole matter. It is the lack of traffic law enforcement facilities against - he small minority of irresponsible motor cyclists in the cities and small towns. There is no doubt whatever that most of the serious and fatal accidents to motor cyclists, in the past four months at least, have occurred in towns and cities (where a 30 m.p.h. restriction applies) rather than on the open road. Most road users, motor cyclist or otherwise, would agree that there is n small minority of owners who ride noisy machines at too fast a speed and in a hazardous manner.. This small but dangerous group is responsible for frequent breaches of the law and frequent accidents. Whether the same minority exists among motorists does not directly concern me; steel car bodies generally prevent their indiscretions in city traffic from ending fatally to themselves and bring restrictions on other motorists. Before considering the enactment of more regulations we should inquire to what extent the existing traffic law is being enforced: —(a) On the open road, the Transport Department inspectors are in charge. The law is well enforced and relatively few serious motor cycle accidents occur, (b) In the larger towns and citjes the borough or city council is in charge of traffic. Just what can be done by them in accident prevention is shown in the

case of Petone and Lower Hutt. Efficient enforcement has practically eliminated accidents in these areas since December, and, although I live in Petone, I have not for months seen a bad case of speeding, either by a motor cyclist or by a motorist. Let us look at traffic control in other large towns and cities. The city of Palmerston North, until recently, had only one full-time traffic inspector. The city of Auckland, although provided with inspectors, had until recently, 1 understand, only two inspectors suitably equipped to deal with approximately 40,000 vehicles and drivers, day and night, for seven days a week. While most of the big towns now have traffic inspectors, many have not provided the inspectors with a vehicle for enforcing the law. The inspector is expected to chase an irresponsible, speeding motor cyclist on foot k That motor cyclist and his cardriving prototype exist in every town in New Zealand. The motor cyclist takes a risk; there is no enforcement, and he is injured—all bona fide motor cyclists are blamed. The irresponsible car driver takes a risk; he gets away without a scratch and perhaps injures a law-abiding motor cyclist. Again all bona fide riders get the blame. The law-abiding motor cyclist does not fear the strict enforcement of the law by municipalities. He welcomes it because he knows it protects his liberties if not his life. He knows that swift retribution by magistrates in the form of cancellation of licences for all cases of reckless or inconsiderate riding or driving would be the best method of avoiding onerous burdens. He knows that the imposition of restrictions would develop a persecution complex with the irresponsible rider the result of which would be a desire to show off his speed and manceuverability on all possible occasions. . Enforcement by local bodies in England is probably the most efficient in the world. The result is shown by the following extract from an English journal:—" There are more than half a million motor cyclists in Britain, and 85 per cent, regularly receive no-claim bonuses off their insurance premiums. Clean licences are held by 90 per about 80 per cent, have not had M accident in five years. If the New municipalities enforced the existing law as it is enforced in Great Britain, the same position would prevail in New Zealand.—l am, etc., Motor Cyclist.

Wellington, February 8. [The observation of the publicity officer of the Transport Department to whom this letter was referred was:— " Regarding the place of occurrence of motor cycle accidents, of a total ot 871 accidents during the 12 months ended March 31 last, 629 were caused in built-up areas. Regarding the other matters mentioned, I have no comment to make."—Ed. O.D.T.]