FURIOUS DRIVING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13926, 3 April 1909, Page 7

FURIOUS DRIVING.

MOTOR CAR TRAFFIC

At yesterday's meeting of the Clifton County Council the chairman, Mr. J. W. Foreman, raised the question ot motor traffic, and urged tho advisability ot something being ikme to control the Iraftic. There was a very general complaint of the reckless and inconsiderate driving of motor cars on the county roads. Some of these people seemed to think they had the power to do just what they liked, to think that the whole road belonged to them, in fact. Recently there had been a report in the newspapers that a motor car had travelled from New Plymouth to Waitara in sixteen minutes; and then on from Waitara to Urenui in fifteen minutes. There was no question about this being a very dangerous pace at which to travel oil such roads, especially considering the sharp and awkward turns which had to be negotiated in the locality. If this sort of thing were permitted to become a practice, or a speed anywhere near approaching it, there would sooner or later be a very serious accident. The question presented itself whether the Council ought not to take some steps to check it. It would be more satisfactory to his mind if the other counties in Taranaki were approach! m on the matter with a view to sinu.'Sr.meous action so that by-laws could be framed by the various local bodies concerned which would all be on the same lines.

Cr. McKenzie endorsed the remarks of the chairman and spoke of the great danger to vehicular traffic on the Onaero Hill through motor cars travelling so fast on this road. Cr. Julian was afraid that unless something was done to check the speed of the cars on this hill someone would be "dashed overboard.' 1

Cr. O'Sullivan urged" that drivers should also he compelled to give a warning of their approach in places where the road was so steep and winding as at Onaero. Recently he had had a very narrow escape himself through a car coming suddenly round one of the bends and no warning was sounded at all. Fortunately for him in this particular instance 'the car was not being driven fast, or he certainly would have been driven over the embankment.

Cr. Hunter suggested that the matter be included on the , circulars the Council were issuing in connection with differential rating as security for local bodies' loans.

The Chairman pointed out that the conditions in the Taranaki province were very much different to many other counties, co that he thought it would beadvisable to confine the matter to the pz'ovince. For instance, in Canterbury, where they had fairly level country, and also the Manawatu district, where the roads extended for miles at a stretch, without a turn, a great speed might be maintained without danger to the public, but a speed which would be far in excess of the rate. at which they could drive safely in t^is > district where the roads were full of turns, and hills and valleys. The Actj-' hV pointed out, left the matter specially wiib the local authorities to make such. by-laws controlling the traffic as jypirid,. meet with the conditions in theis particular district. He agreed with Cr7 O'&tillivan that much of the danger would be done away with if drivers would sound a warning of their i approach. ' He had heard them "toot-! ingV^oH-iftfe ro*tfl \vheji-tiipjce had been! no danger, just to give people a scare. He had no hostility^io the traffic and recognised that ifaotors were very nice things to travel in and that the number would grow. Many of them if they only had the, money to get them and the means to maintain them would do so, but at the same time the safety of ,the general public had to be considered. Cr. Kennington said tho faster the cars travelled the more destructive they were to the roads.

It is understood that other counties will be communicated with, with the idea of uniform regulations being drafted.