TRAFFIC COLLISIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16513, 25 August 1921, Page 7

TRAFFIC COLLISIONS.

MORE CARE NEEDED. TRAMS AND MOTOR-CARS. “It amazes me that there are not more collisions,” said Mr F. Thompson, general manager of the Christchurch tramways, to a reporter this morning. Mr Thompson was running over the accident book, containing a daily record of minor and major accidents, but the main point under discussion was whether there had been any unusual number of collisions between tramcars and motor-cars recently. He took tlie view that the number was not increasing, but he commented on the factthat there was practically no supervision in regard to drivers of cars. “ Here you have hundreds of motorcar drivers,” he said, “ with no supervision as to the condition they are in before they start to drive a car, in respect to liquor. lam not reflecting at all on our own men when I say that 1 know the necessity for being on the look-out in regard to this matter.” A comparison with places like Sydney, Mr Thompson said, would pro- 1 bably show that Christchurch had no j more than its proportion of accidents;’ bnt he had been reading that traffic risks were becoming so great in the United States that competent drivers were leaving their cars at home rather ' than subject themselves to the risk. With respect to motor and street traffic generally, Mr Thompson remarked that the Wellington authorities had conducted an educative campaign, posting up on motor-cars and tramcars such notices as. “ Before crossing once, look twice.” Children and women were the first offenders in this respect, for they had one object, and that was to scoot across the road ; but he had noticed an increasing amount of care on the part of people leaving tram-cars lately, for they generally looked both ways very much more carefully. Instances of tram-car and motor-car collisions in the past month were given as follows: On August 23 a.Cashmere tram on the way to Cathedral Square was run into by a motor-car. the driver of which had the alternative of running over a pedestrian or running into the car. The pedestrian had rushed into the street suddenly to catch the tram. He was knocked over, but the motorist’s action saved him from serious injury. On the evening of August 22, while a tram was going to Papanui on the single line, a motorist aj/>roacliing it turned off the track in plenty of time, but suddenly swerved back again, and a head-on collision resulted. The motorist swerved on to the lines because he had been blinded by dazzling headlights, and had to act quickly to avoid a collision with another car. His own car was completely wrecked, but he escaped with slight cuts. On August 13 a tram going outwards over the Riccarton railway crossing sounded its gong loudly to attract the attention of a motorist who was coming in the opposite direction in the middle of the road. The motorist came straight on and did not turn off until too late to avoid a glancing collision. On August 13, on a Richmond trip, a motorist entering Stnnmore Road from Gloucester Street .struck a tram a glancing blow on the trip gate. On August 8 a very unusual accident happened. A butcher’s delivery van was standing at the side of the track when a tram passed. The suction of the car is supposed to have blown the door of the delivery car open, and it was struck by the trailer and badlv smashed. The tramway men state thar the door was not open when the car itself passed. On July 26 a car going from Warrington Street to the Hills terminus was struck, near Armagh Street, by a motor-car travelling in the same direction, the car swerving in. On July 24 a motor-car drove right across a Brighton tram crossing in Madras Street, a slight collision resulting.