SECOND EDITION “SAFETY FIRST”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17406, 3 November 1930, Page 8

SECOND EDITION “SAFETY FIRST”

A.A.A. CAMPAIGN TALK BY TOURING MANAGER (Contributed.) The annual death toll from motor •vehicle accidents has increased very rapidly during the past live years, and an endeavor is now being made by the Auckland Automobile Association to induce all users of the highways to excer,cise more- care and to live and preach ‘‘safety first”. If; must not be thought that every accident is due to the carelessness of the, motorist; pedestrians also 'have their failings, and both sections riiust plead guilty of being the original cause of many minor, as well as serious accidents. A person who has never driven a motor car finds it difficult to sympathise with the driver’s point of view, but >a motorist can usually appreciate the pedestrian’s difficulty for he is often afoot himself and subject to the dangers of the road.

DOring the coming summer when the 'traffic will be thick on the various highways throughout the Dominion, if every road user resolved to be on the alert the weekly list of accidents would be greatly reduced. To obtain road safety a motorist should remember in the first place, what the rules and customs of the road are, and should allow for the fact that others may break them. In the cities drivers should regard the whito line--the symbol of safety —as'sacred, and should never swing out across it. on the wrong side,of the road, but, always faithfully keep on the proper side. Unfortunately all the local hollies have not yet made full use of white lines for traffic control, and up to the presentthe silent policeman or traffic dome acts as a substitute. No doubt, the backwardness of local bodies in this direction is due to expense. The. A.A.A. has now obtained samples of metal for permanent white lines, which may, perhaps, .induce local bodies to lay down more of these precautionary measures. By shooting, across the road on the wrong side of a corner, a motorist endangers* traffic approaching in the opposite direction. He may get away with this timo after time, hut sooner or later* the driver must learn a severe lesson. On the scenic routes motorists should be warned to be careful not to park their car right on a corner where it is liable to cause a passing car to swing oui to tjie wrong side of the road, and thus run the risk' of meeting approaching traffic. The same thing applies when changing a wheel oi* mending a. puncture; the car should he pulled well over to the left of the road to leave the highway clear for moving traffic. A driver should never attempt to pass another vehicle going in the same direction unless he has clear visibility and a good view of; the road ahead. It is a common fault to fail to give traffic signals when stopping, or turning to the right, especially on isolated country roads. Another courtesy which should, be impressed on motorists is that of giving way to approaching traffic. That obnoxious individual who hangs to the cejitie o the road and forces other traffic into the watertable is well known, but the majority of road users are decent lawabiding’folk, and.when given way to they will' usually return the compliment. Again, if passing an overtaken vehicle, drivers should be careful not to cut in in fyont too soon. . in traffic, attention should not distracted by people on the pavement, but driver's should look ahead, ever oft the watch for some unseen danger. When hailed by a pal, a driver should never execute a quick turn in the road, without giving the slightest warning to tjie traffic behind him.