ROAD ACCIDENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27568, 9 December 1950, Page 3

ROAD ACCIDENTS

Analysis Of Causes

LOW DEATH RATE IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand’s death rate on the roads per 10,000 vehicles is among the lowest recorded in the world, says a report on motor accidents prepared by the research section of the Transport Department. Failure to yield to the right caused most of the- accidents for wnich motorists were primarily responsible during 1949. Over 40 per cent, of accidents occurred between 4 p.m. and 8 p.im, and the most in one hour between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday is the worst day for accidents. The least accidents take place in January and November, and the most in May and June.

The number of fatal accidents increased from 128 in 1945 to 218 last year. Fatalities per million gallons of petrol consumed rose sharply from 1934 to 1936. when more vehicles were appearing on the roads after the depression. In 1936 a vigorous road safety campaign was begun and deaths per 10,000, vehicles fell from 9.81 in that year to 8.05 in 1939, while deaths per million gallons of petrol fell from 3.45 in 1936 to 2.70 in 1939. By 1949 the vehicle rate was down to 6.06 and the petrol rate to 1.97. Failure to Give Way

During 1949 there were 4092 accidents in each of which the main cause was failure to yield to the right. Excessive speed was the next major cause and was regarded as the more important because it was probably a secondary factor in many accidents. Failure to give way was also the most important cause of accidents for which cyclists were responsible. Other important causes indicated that many cyclists ignored the traffic rules which governed their own safety. Nearly 90 per cent, of accidents for which pedestrians were responsible resulted from carelessness by the pedestrian. The late autumn and early winter months are the worst for road safety. The report says that the exposure risk is reduced in the winter months, when some commercial vehicles are off the roads. Many more are laid up in December and January, but private cars predominate in a holiday season, increasing the risk. Accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists increase in the winter. Eighty-three children under five years of age were killed or injured on the roads in 1949, compared with 87 the previous year. School children pedestrians killed or injured during seven calendar months in 1949 numbered 137 in the 5-to-9-year group and 190 in the 5-to-15-year group. The respective totals for 1948 were 113 and 159. Dunedin Second Safest City Of all the accidents reported in 1949, 37.6 per cent, occurred in the main' centres and 31 per cent, in other closely-populated areas. The Auckland metropolitan area had the highest number with 722, or 29.8 per 10,000 of population, and Wellington was next with 356, or 26.6 per 10,000 of population. Dunedin was shown to be the second safest city in the Dominion, with 20.3. accidents for every 10,000 of population. Invercargill had the lowest rate, namely, 14.8 per 10,000 of population. . The severity of accidents is less in built-up areas, where one in 29 is fatal, compared with one 13 in the other areas. The explanation given is that speeds are higheiMn areas which are not built up. Collisions between motor vehicles and trains are the most severe. Although virtually every accident would have been avoided had the motorist taken elementary care, 39 of these accidents occurred in 1949.