CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS
LACK OF CONSIDERATION. Many of the road accidents to-day are caused by someone, motorist or pedestrian, failing in a quality we all like to think we possess—consideration. If every road user—motorist, cyclist, and pedestrian—lived up to his own estimation of himself, the number of accidents would automatically be reduced, for the lack of consideration on someone’s part is often the primary cause of a collision, says a writer in the “Autocar.” If every accident could be analysed, it would undoubtedly be found that many of them are indirectly due to someone thinking only of himself. The parties involved in the accident may be quite innocent in this respect; in fact, the responsible party may not even be near the scene. People who erect illuminated signs where they may be mistaken for traffic signals are an example; dog owners who allow their pets to stray are another, and motorists, who leave their cars in awkward places a third. The driver who overtakes a slower vehicle and cuts into avoid another approaching from the opposite direction shows lack of consideration towards a fellow-motorist. It may be quite safe for the man who cuts in, but, if the occupant of the overtaken car is at all nervous, he may brake violently and so bring about an accident of which the inconsiderate driver may know nothing. When we see a pedestrian leisurely crossing the road, it Ts our duty to presume that he or she cannot walk faster, and act accordingly. Everyone knows what is meant by consideration for others; unfortunately, everyone does not practise it.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THD19340519.2.57.4
Bibliographic details
Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19803, 19 May 1934, Page 10
Word Count
265CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19803, 19 May 1934, Page 10
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