OFFENDING MOTORISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23811, 18 May 1939, Page 7

OFFENDING MOTORISTS

WARRANTS OF FITNESS SUGGESTION BY MAGISTRATE (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 17. When a number of motorists were charged in the Police Court with failing to carry warrants of fitness, Senior Sergeant Calwell said it was time public attention was drawn to the frequency of these offences. “ We find that in most cases where collisions occur one of the drivers, and sometimes both, have no warrants of fitness,” said the senior sergeant. “ Many people apparently leave the taking out of licenses to the garages and the people who supply them with cars." He pointed out that the offence was not merely in failing to possess a warrant but in failing to carry it. Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., said the weakness in the regulations was that there was no specific date fixed for the taking out of warrants of fitness. If it were made compulsory that warrants should be taken out at the same time as the cars were licensed, or relicensed, then motorists would have no excuse whatever. “ I think it a good idea if the authority dealing with the re-licensing of cars insisted that warrants should be obtained.” Treating 20 cars on their merits, the magistrate imposed fines from 10s to 30s. 1