"SAFETY FIRST."

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18057, 1 December 1930, Page 6

"SAFETY FIRST."

ROAD ACCIDENTS. I make no apologies for again bringing to your notice the question of "Safety First." The annual' death toll from motor vehicle accidents has increased very rapidly during the past five years and an endeavour is now being made by my association to induce all users of the King's highway to exercise more care and to live and preach "Safety First."

It must not be thought that every accident is due to the carelessness of the motorist; pedestrians also have their failings and both sections must plead guilty of being the original cause of many minor, as well as serious accidents. A person who has never driven a motor car finds it difficult to sympathise with the driver's point of view, but a motorist can usually .appreciate the pedestrian's difficulty for he is. often afoot himself and subject to the dangers of the road.

Most road crashes are unnecessary. They happen only because people don't know certain things with which they should be familiar, or because they don't think about them. Perils of the road are of our own making. During the coming summer when the traffic will be thick on the various highways throughout the Dominion, let every road user resolve to be on the alert and there can be no dcubt that the weekly list of accidents will be greatly reduced'. Road safety is really quite a simple matter. To obtain it for. yourself, and for others whom you may encounter on your journeys, you have to do two things. You have to remember in the first place, what the rules and customs of the road are, and yo\ have to allow for the fact that others may break them. If you do these two 'things, nothing but a miracle will bring you into trouble provided, of course, the road surface is wide enough and not of the single car type where a careless driver will cause an accident irrespective of what precautions you may take.

'ln the cities, .please regard the white line—(the symbol of safety—as sacred'. You must never swing out across ilt on to the wrong side, but always keep faithfully on the proper side. '

Unfortunately the local bodies in and around Auckland have not yet made full use of white lines for traffic Control, and up to the present the silent policemen or traffic dome acts as a substitute. No doubt, the backwardness of local 'bodies in this direction is due to expense as the painten white lines are rather costly. The A.A.A. has now obtained dampies of metal for permanent white lines which may perhaps, induce local bodies to lay down more of these precautionary measures.

•By shooting across the road on the wrong side of a corner, you endanger traffic approaching in', the opposite direction. You may get away with this time after time, but sooner or later you MOST learn a severe lesson. Our highways present so many delightful scenes that motorists are in the halbit of stopping to admire the beauties of nature; but be careful not to park your car right on a corner where it is liable to cause a passing car to swing out to the wrong side of the road and thus run the risk of meeting approaching traffic. The same thing applies when changing a wheel or mending a puncture. Pull your car well over to the left Of the road and leave the highway clear for moving traffic.

Never attempt to pass an'other vehicle going in the same direction, unless you have clear visibility and a gcod view of the road ahead. It is a common fault to fail to give traffic signals when stopping, or turning to the right, especially on isolated country roads; but if you will make this a matter of habit and religiously carry it out under all conditions, much annoyance, if not danger to other road users will be saved.

Even supposing you have resolved to take all these precautions, you must still not forget that other drivers may net be so' considerate or as intelligent as yourself. You may come one day> on a motorist who has misjudged his speed on a corner and his wheels are well over on the wrong side of the road and out of control.

:Be prepared for these emergencies and act accordingly.

One other courtesy I would impress en motorists, is to give way to approaching traffic. You all know that obnoxious individual who hangs to the Centre of the road and forces you over into the water table. You may meet a few of these people, but the majority of road users are decent law-abiding folk and if you give way to them, they will usually return the compliment.

Again, if passing an overtaken vehicle, be careful not to cut in in front of him too soon. You may not only frighten him, but perhaps flying stones from your rear wheels may penetrate his windscreen.

In traffic, don't let your attention be distracted (by people on the pavement, but keep your eyes ahead, ever on the watch for some unseen danger, and again, when you have been hailed by a pal, don't execute a quick turn in the road without giving the slightest warning to the traffic behind you. It is by the observance of such small points as those that you can all' eniov

a really safe summer; just a little thought, just a little common sense, and just a little imagination are all that are needed if accidents are to he prevented. iCultivate always, the habit of "thinking ahead," speculate as to what every crossing and every turning will bring, and act accordingly. If there are any suggestions which readers could make with a view to stressing the necessity of "Safety First," please send a postcard to the Auckland Automobile Association, PjO. Box 5, Auckland and they will receive due consideration.