ROADS AND TRAFFIC

Southland Times, Issue 20522, 26 June 1928, Page 6

ROADS AND TRAFFIC

The withdrawal of the Canterbury Automobile Association’s remit dealing with traffic at road corners discloses the uncertainty about the “off-side” rule, to which we referred some time ago. In our opinion the Motor Regulation enforcing the “offside” rule is restricted to intersections of roads, and we agree that any modification of it to fit local ideas or to differentiate between roads is dangerous. Uniformity of practice is essential to the proper control of traffic, and the motorists are wise in rejecting any proposals which endanger it; but our point is that the remit suggests uncertainty as to the position of motorists entering traffic on a through road. The regulation deals with intersections, which in effect means crossings. Prior to the appearance of the “bff-side” rule there was no means of deciding which driver approaching the intersection had the right of way and the “off-side” rule came in to provide a simple and an effective solution of this problem; but at that time the courts had laid down in many decisions the rules governing the proper conduct of a’ driver entering traffic from a side road, putting on him all responsibility for entering the stream of traffic. These decisions covered the cases of vehicles entering from lanes, right-of-ways and side streets and they were free of doubt. It seems to us that these rules are not modified by the new regulations, because the “off-side” rule deals only with intersecting streets. Where one road enters, but does not cross another road there is no intersection and the “off-side” rule does not apply. This is desirable, because otherwise the driver on the main road will have thrown on him the duty of giving way to every vehicle entering from a side road on his right. This, it seems to us, would result in an unnecessary impediment to main road traffic. It is fairly clear, however, that doubt exists on this point in some quarters, and the Motor Associations would be well advised to obtain some authoritative opinion on the matter so that motorists will be fully seized of the extent to which the “off-side” rule operates in this country.