ROAD SAFETY

Opunake Times, 29 August 1947, Page 3

ROAD SAFETY

"JAYCEE" CAMPAIGN -TEN COMMANDMENTS" In the course of its, "Road Safety Fortnight" the Junior Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand have suggested "ten commandments" for road safety. They are: 1. Give way on your rightespecially at night. 2. Better six minutes on the road than six months in hospital. 3. Co-operate with your school patrols. 4. Don't jay-walk. L T se the safety lanes. 5. If you're driving at nio-ht, don't dazzle with lights. 6. If you can't see, don't take a chance. 7. Through restricted areas take heed—use more carewatch your speed. 8. When you are stopping or turning use the recognised signals. 9. If you're driving don't drink; if you're drinking don't drive. 10. Have a care—danger s there I

Causes of Accidents Last year, the Junior Chamber stated that 191 persons were killed and the alarmingly highnumber of 4,035 were injured. While,, there are various reasons why New Zealand's road accident rate should be lower than that of other countries, there is no reason why we should be satisfied with the present position, particularly when we realite that so many accidents could 'be avoided by a greater exercise of care, of mare consideration for others, and bv a better knowledge of the Road Code. In support of its contention that many road accidents are avoidable, and that avoidance can be assured only through the maximum use of road care, the Junior Chamber cited from official reports the most frequent causes of motor-vehicle accidents. These included collisions with another motor-vehicle, railway trains, cyclists, and with telegraph poles or other fixed objects. Non-collision accidents included driving off the road, overturning on the road, or falling off a vehicle. Among the causes of accidents to children were running into the roadway, running from behind a vehicle or object, playing in a roadway or boarding a vehicle without due care.

Successful Campaign The road safety campaign undertaken by Junior Chamber of Commerce throughout the Dominion in the past fortnight will draw to a close this week-end. Altogether nearly 3,000 young men, all 'members of Junior Chambers, have participated in this attempt to inculcate into pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists alike, the need for greater care on the roads. While the general nature of tiie campaign was determined by a national committee representing the New Zealand Junior Chamber of Commerce, the administration was decentralised as much as possible, and it was left tt> the discretion and initiative of local Junior Chambers to implement the general plan in accordance with local requirements and conditions. The campaign was the first national project organised by the Junior Chamber movement in furtherance of its object of being- a means of service to the community. The success of the cainpaign, an official of the Junior Chamber stated" today, indicated that even more ambitious national projects may be undertaken in the near future in the public interest.