HEAVY TRAFFIC BREACHES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 13

HEAVY TRAFFIC BREACHES

EXCESSIVE LOADS CARRIED OFFENDERS FINED Heavy motor vehicles weighed by traffic inspectors and found to be overloaded resulted in charges against owners and operators in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr H. Morgan, S.M. H. Gould and Co., whose lorry, according to Inspector Ashwell, was I ton overloaded, were flned £1 with costs 10/-. The company’s excuse was that a new driver was in charge of the vehicle on the day of the offence and he had underestimated the load. Neil Grylls, similarly charged, admitted the breach. The overload was 2 tons 3cwt, an excessive amount, said Inspector Ashwell. The driver took full responsibility. "You should have seen for yourself that the vehicle was obviously overloaded,” said the Magistrate in fining Grylls £2 with costa 10/-. Admitting that he carried 8 tons 6cwt on a, lorn' licensed to carry 4 tons, William Purdotn was fined £2 with costs 10.'-. Inspector Newcome said that defendant’s firm had instructed its drivers not to overload, and Purdoin took full responsibility for the breach. Defendant told the Magistrate that he knew the vehicle was overloaded, but if he had not taken the whole of a load of wood on the one trip he would have lost the carting job. It was a double load, said the Magistrate, who fined defendant £2 with costs 10/-. The lorry was 1 ton 4cwt overloaded, said Inspector Newcome, in prosecuting Sydney Thomas Webster for permitting Leonard Wearne to operate it. Leonard Wearne was charged with operating an overloaded vehicle.

Each was fined £l/10/- with costs 10/-. The driver had been warned previously, said the inspector. Was “Day Dreaming” In a letter to the Court, John F. Baker, charged with driving a heavy traffic vehicle at a greater speed than the prescribed 30 miles an hour, said he was "day dreaming away back in Dunedin,” whence he had come. His speed was estimated by Inspector Ashwell at 40 miles an hour. Defendant had no right to day drcam. He should have watched the speedometer, said the Magistrate, in fining Baker £2 with costs 10/-. Other Offences Margaret May McLean was fined 10/- with costs 12/-, for driving an unregistered motor car on June 4. Defendant's excuse was that she thought there was six days’ grace, said Inspector Cameron. For riding an unlighted cycle in the borough at night, George Samuel Miller was fined 7/6 with costs 11/-. William Kelly, who operated a motor cycle without possessing a driver’s license was fined 10/- with costs 10/-. He was flned a similar sum for not having a rear light on the machine. For Incorrectly parking a motor vehicle in Otipua Road, James Leonard Fountaine was flned 10/- with costs 11/-. Leonard Watterreus was flned 10/-, with costs 10/-, for operating a motor car without a driver’s license. Defendant, said Inspector Cameron, claimed that he had a Waimate license, but such was not the case. A voluntary appearance was made by Mark Bower, who was flned 10/for driving an unlicensed truck.