TRAFFIC OFFENCES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19886, 13 March 1939, Page 6

TRAFFIC OFFENCES

GISBORNE CASES COLLISION SEQUELS LORRY DRIVERS' HOURS Charges against two drivers of motor vehicles involved in recent collisions and several miscellaneous informations were dealt with this morn-

ins by Mr. E. L. Walton. S.M.. in the Magistrate's Court. The police prosecuted in the following cases:—Mounty George Gillespie, Mr. ii. S Wauchop), who pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to give way to traffic approaching on his right, was fined £1 and costs £1 3s. Seniov-sergeam .1 F. 11. Macnamara said that the defendant was involved in a collision with a vehicle driven by a man named Johnson, but the damage was not very extensve. Mr. Wauchop said the circumstances of the accident were exceptional and a plea of not guilty would have been entered if his clienf could have come through from Rotorua His submissions were that the street light at the corner was out at 1 the time of the accident and that Johnson and his passengers said that the other vehicle had no light* burn ing. Alexander Watt Brodie was fined £.l and costs 10s for failing to keep as far as practicable on the left-hand side of the roadway. Senior-Sergeant J. F. H. Macnamara said the defendant had come into collision with a vehicle driven by a man named Donaldson in thp vicinity, of Makarori The off-side wheel of the defendant': car was smashed off. as were alsc* the two off-side wheels on the van driven by Donaldson. The defendant was well over on the crown of the road He had only recently qualified as a driver and it was probable that he misjudged the distance. The defendant said that he was also blinded by the rays of the setting sun. Transport Department Cases The Transport Department's inspector, Mr. R. Metcalfe, prosecuted in the following cases:Norman Cameron was fined 10s anr 1 10s costs for operating a motor-cycle without a warrant of fitness. Mr. Metcalfe said that the machine was in particularly bad order, there being no head-lamp, and the kick-starter being tied up with wire. Tuhi Whakanua was fined 10s and costs 17s for having no certificate o' fitness and 5s and costs 15s for driving without a license. George Brocklebank (Mr. M. R Maude) was fined £1 and costs 10? for allowing two of his employees to drive continuously for more than 5} hours without a rest of half-an-hour as set out in the award. Mr. Maude said that his client had a great num ber of lorries in service and it was difficult to keep in touch with all the drivers to sec that they observed the conditions of the award. At the end of the SA-hour period it was also difficult, sometimes, for the drivers to find a convenient place to stop to take their rest. ■ Jury and Parry pleaded guilty to two charges and were fined £1 and costs 10s for operating a vehicle without an inspection certificate and a similar amount for failing to carry a vehicle authority. The defendant said that there was a small adjustment to be made by a mechanic and it was unfortunate that the inspector had seen the driver before the work was carried out. IJorough Prosecution On a charge of failing to give information, John Tuna was fined £1 and costs 17s, the prosecution being conducted by the borough traffic inspector, Mr. T. G. Nowell. The inspector said that he had placed a sticker on Tuna's car on September 3, 1938, and it was not returned as requested, nor did he receive any advice as to the driver of the vehicle from Tuna. Subsequently three other notices were sent out to the owner of the car, but no replies had been received.