Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1934. SAFETY ON THE ROAD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18366, 7 April 1934, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1934. SAFETY ON THE ROAD

That the British Government is determined to take steps to reduce the dangers of road travel is indicated by the new Traffic Bill introduced in the House of Commons just prior to the Easter recess. Few problems of recent years have presented greater difficulties than that of road accidents, which, despite the continual publicity that is given to them, and the general recognition of the risks involved in modern road usage, continue to increase. In Great Britain last year

more than 7200 persons were killed ' and more than 216,000 injured as a result of road accidents, botli these figures creating undesirable records. The previous year the comparative figures were 6538 and 203,000, and in 1931, 6690 and 202,000, The position revealed by last year’s returns is the more disquieting in view of the fact that it had been confidently expected that recent legislation would result in an improvement being shown, and the question now arises whether remedies can lie applied without measures of an exceptionally drastic nature being adopted. It has to be admitted that after a good many years’ experience of motoring, efforts at effective con trol are still in the experimental stage, and even the new British bill discloses few departures of a major nature. Speed limits are to be reimposed, drivers are to be subject to

stricter tests, and heavier penalties < are to be provided for driving offences, - but all these expedients have been ] tried before without success. Opinion j is still very much divided as to the j wisdom of speed limits; the testing of i drivers is not generally regarded as ] an important factor as the careless * driver is frequently a greater menace than one who is lacking in technical ( ability; while whatever penalties are , imposed have a negligible effect on i the average driver until he became in- j volvcd in an accident or a breach of | tho regulations —and then it is fro- , quently too late. There is an unfor- < tunatc absence of appreciation on the. J part of both motorists and the public , generally to realise the seriousness of i the situation. The accident figures, j appalling as they arc, have been so frequently published that people have ; become used to the huge casualty roll « and arc apt to take tho danger of the ; road as something that cannot be avoided. It is inconceivable, however, that nothing can bo done to reduce to a very large extent the existing menace to life and limb, and the British efforts in this direction will be watched very closely, as the problem is not confined to that country by any means, although it is doubtful whether any other part of the world has such ’an unenviable record. It is clear that the steps that have been taken in the past have been inadequate. The first necessity is to make a much more careful study of the incidence of accidents, for until all the eontiibutorj causes have been closely analysed it is almost futile to attempt to apply remedies. It is frequently assumed that fast travelling is the major factor, but this has yet to be proved, and it is by no means clear that traffic congestion is responsible, since there has been an increase of accidents on country roads Ono aspect ot tlu matter that seldom receives consideration is tho fundamental fact that a comparatively new method of transport has been inroduccd on to a highway system that was never intended to accommodate it This applies with added force to an old country such ns Britain, but even in New Zealand it is abundantly clear that the streets of the cities are not designed to meet present-day needs It is possible that before the traffic problem is solved it will be necessary to replan and rebuild many of tho existing thoroughfares, or else to restrict their use in some way so as to minimise the dangers ot travelling. This, of course, would involve much cost and inconvenience, hut these are minor considerations compared with the present risk to i human life To propound remedies until the cause is known, however, is futile, and because of this vital point it, is imperative that a more comprehensive system of innvestigating all accidents should bo introduced An

example in this direction is given by the control of aviation, where every mishap is the, subject of an inquiry, with the result that it is possible to tabulate the factors contributing to the danger of air travel, and, consequently, to take steps to reduce them. If it is found that speed is the greatest cause of road accidents, then speed must bo better regulated; if narrow roads or bad road surfaces are responsible, improvements must be effected; if the standard of driving is too low, it must be raised; if the vehicles themselves are not sufficiently controllable, their design must be altered; and if it is that the careless pedestrian is in any degree responsible, then it will be necessary to make his use of the highways subject to more severe regulation. The essential thing is first to ascertain the cause of road dangers, for once that is done it will be possible, if not at all easy, to commence taking steps to overcome thorn. In the meantimea valuable contribution is being made in Britain, and might well be made elsewhere, by a campaign to educate people to a realisation of the dangers that are being faced every day by the careless use of streets and roads, and to urge upon them to make every possible contribution towards a greater measure of safety.