MOTOR DRIVERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21819, 23 November 1940, Page 6

MOTOR DRIVERS

Ages And Experience Classification Made A statistical table classifying motor drivers according to age and experience. compiled by the Levels County Council for Government record purposes affords several interesting observations. The return covers 1276 motor drivers, 976 men and 300 women. Driving experience extending over 10 years or more can be claimed by 716, or 56 per cent of the total, while the next highest group, 221, have been driving between five years and 10 years. The number of drivers who obtained licences in the last five years show a rise to 333, sub-divided into 195 with two to five years’ experience. 91 with one to two years, 22 with six to 12 months and 25 who obtained licences in the six months ended October 31, 1940. Irregular Grouping The distribution of licences over the various age groups shows considerable irregularity. The most popular group is between 35 years and 39 years, including 169 drivers, but the young 20-24 group, with 163. is not far behind. Then comes the 25-29 years group with 154, followed by a fall to 131 for the next five years. The decade following the 35-39 years peak group shows two successive declines to 141 and 95 for each of the succeeding five years, but a marked rise to 122 occurs in the number of drivers between 50 and 55 years of age. From that age the declire is gradual until the over 70 group, including 18 drivers, is reached. It is notable that while the number of women drivers in the age groups moves in sympathy with the number of men. the degree of fluctuation is not so great. Possibly the fortunes of the marriage market explain why 127 men drivers from 20 to 24 years fall to 111 in the next five years, while women drivers increase from 36 to 43. Again, the principle with women drivers appears to be to train them young. Between 45 years and 55 years male drivers increase nearly 50 per cent, but the number of women motorists remains stationary. In the youngest and oldest age groups, men predominate considerably. Under 20 years of age there are 67 men drivers, but only nine women, while in the over 70 group there is a lonely woman, among 17 men.