CARE ON THE HIGHWAY

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1931, Page 9

CARE ON THE HIGHWAY

THE FATAL LURE OF SPEED VALUE OF MOTOR REGULATIONS. LACK OF "KNOWLEDGE STILL SEEN.

(By Mr. R. Day, chief inspector, Bor- •' ough of New Plymouth.) Notwithstanding the fact that the Motor Regulations have been in force for more than three years and have been the subject of innumerable press items in the form of' Court news, reports of inquests and special articles, there seems still to bo an utter lack of knowledge on the part of many motorists of many of the most important regulations. It has beqji shown repeatedly that the regulations are based on common sense and are framed for the guidance of motorists in the prevention of accident. They are simple in operation and, if observed as they should be, should result in a wonderful decrease in the deplorable death rate caused by motor accidents. Driving to the danger of,the public js chiefly a matter of speed. Twelve miles an hour may be dangerous in a busy street at one time of the day, whereas 30 miles an hour may be quite safe an hour later. Fixed speed limits do not justify driving to the danger of the public even if the speed is less than the legal speed. Many drivers do not give the proper signals. The most important are the arm extended horizontally when about to turn to the right and the arm up-* right from the elbow when about to stop. Even• when the signal is given, it is often not done long enough before the operation of stopping or turning, and frequently looks more like the flicking of a cigarette ash than an important signal intended to prevent serious accident. There is the compulsion to give not-, ice of any accident in.which any person is'injured to the nearest police station, and motorists should also know that they are compelled to stop at a signal from an inspector or constable. Further they are compelled to supply information concerning the driver of the car or its ownership. The overtaking of cars at bends or street intersections is a frequent cause of accidents. Motorists when desiring to overtake another vehicle must sound the horn and the person being overtaken must not accelerate after the sounding of the horn. Comfort and safety would 'be assured if the overtaken vehicle were to slow up for & second or two. ■lt is illegal to pass two cars abreast of each other or to overtake at corners or street intersections. So much has . been said or written about the righthand rule that one wonders that there is any doubt about its application. A driver is compelled to give way if another . vehicle fs approaching on the right. Yet collisions occur. Why? It may be news to many motorists to know that it is illegal to splash pedestrians and that they arc compelled to drive slowly past men who are repairing roads. On the approach of a fire engine motorists are compelled to pull to the sida of the road and scop, amlwhen parking cars they must not leave them over or near a fire-plug. Finally, a word to motor-cyclists. The hospitals are full of motor-cyclists, many of them maimed for life through this incessant craze for speed. A mot-* or-cyclc in careful hands is a useful servant and the means of a good deal of pleasure, but.,.as ridden by a great many cyclists, it is a source of annoyance to others stud a grave danger both to the rider and to other persons using the roads. To the fast rider the era si is inevitable. ' ,