ACCIDENTS AT WEEK-ENDS

Southland Times, Issue 23816, 13 May 1939, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AT WEEK-ENDS

RECENT HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE PROPOSAL TO BAN ALCOHOL FOR MOTORISTS (United Press Association) WELLINGTON. May 12. The extraordinary frequence of fatal accidents during the last five weekends was the subject of comment by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) tonight. Mr Semple said 22 lives had been lost during the five week-ends, an average of more than four each week-end. More traffic deaths had occurred during Saturday and Sunday than during the five working days of the week. Speed too great for the circumstances had been responsible for ■ more than half the fatalities. The high percentage of deaths that occurred at night indicated that motorists were not altogether appreciating the necessity for using special technique in night driving.. With the co-oneration of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research investigations into night driving hazards were being carried out by the psychology laboratory of Otago University. The experiments so far conducted indicated several interesting findings. For instance, one of the aftereffects of headlight glare, even when it did not seriously decrease acuity of vision, caused considerable errors in judgment of the position of objects. A skilled night driver knowing this would avoid dazzling other motorists and would “give them a wide berth.’’ For use at the Centennial Exhibition the Transport Department was obtaining machinery to test the night judgment of distance, speed and colour, the night acuity of eyes after alcohol, and fatigue sensitivity to glare and recovery. It was hoped by this means to throw some light on a very dark subject. Night driving was rapidly increasing, however, and as long as many of its special problems remained unsolved, it was up to all motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians to exercise greater care after sundown. It wag hoped also by means of the exhibition equipment to test the effect of alcohol on drivers. Liquor had been present in a number of fatal accidents during the last five weeks. It was not the “dead drunk” driver who was the major problem. The driver who had a smaller quantity of liquor and who asserted he was “stone cold sober” or “only just a little merry” was a bigger menace.

A special sub-committee of the Road Safety Council was meeting at Parliament Buildings on Monday next to consider the problem of the intoxicated driver, and particularly the proposal of the Commissioner of Police that “legislation be prepared to make it an offence for any person while he is in charge of a motor-vehicle to take intoxicants, and that it also be an offence to supply intoxicants to any person while he or she is in charge of a motorcar.”

Regarding the months of May, June and July as the worst of the year for cyclist and pedestrian . mortality, the Transport Department intends taking measures to enforce rigidly the regulations framed for the safety of cyclists, particularly those requiring them to carry adequate lights, red reflectors of approved pattern and a white rear, mudguard. Statistics of accidents to cyclists in the winter months last year'are;— April May June July Totals

Killed *4 9' 4 2 19 Seriously • injured 38 37 33 26 134 Slightly injured 66 71 61 ( 44 242

The totals of casualties in which cyclists were victims in the year ended March 31 this year were: Killed 32, seriously injured 342, slightly injured 614, nearly 1000 accidents in all. In an effort to cut down the figures this year all traffic inspectors have been instructed to take action against offenders. A national drive is being made and a number of prosecutions is already being brought.