ROAD DISCOURTESY

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1935, Page 13

ROAD DISCOURTESY

COMPLAINT AGAINST DRIVER. MORE INFORMATION REQUIRED. The alleged action of a motor lorry driver in forcing a motorist off the road was before the Egmont County Council yesterday, but before taking any steps in the matter the council decided to ask for more definite information from the Automobile Association (Taranaki). That organisation wrote that a complaint had been received from a motorist that when meeting a lorry recently on the New Plymouth-Opunake Road the driver was so disregardful of the rights of the motorist, that the latter, in order to avoid a collision, was forced right off the road. Such action was uncalled for as all the main roads in the county were sufficiently wide to provide ample room for two vehicles to pass without either having to leave the road. The association asked that the council’s inspector endeavour to put a stop to such unreasonable behaviour.

A councillor remarked that it was time that some lorry drivers were “pulled up.”

The chairman pointed out that at times it was difficult for lorry drivers to pull off the centre of the road. He drove a goad deal and found that the lorry driv-. ers as a rule were very considerate. Of course, there was an occasional case in which the lorry driver did not show consideration.

He thought the association should supply further information, including the name of the person who had made the complaint, so that the council’s inspector could get into communication with him, and also the name of the driver of the lorry, so that the inspector could keep a watch for him. He considered that in withholding that information the association was not playing the game. Councillor Farquhar pointed out that the firm mentioned had other drivers, who were probably very careful on the road, and the letter would cast a reflection on all the drivers employed by the firm. ' Councillor Willcox said some lorry drivers had a tendency to come over just as a motorist thought that he was passing the lorry. The chairman said he knew there were difficult lorry drivers, as he had met some of them himself. He believed, too, that the complaint was justified but was of opinion that the council should have further information. . . It was resolved that the association be asked to supply the name of the person making the complaint, the name of the lorry driver concerned and also on what part of the Road the incident had taken place.