OVER 500 KILLED IN STREET SMASHES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 1

OVER 500 KILLED IN STREET SMASHES.

NEW ZEALANDER SEES NEW YORK TRAFFIC. “In memory of 666 persons killed by reckless driving in New York sinco January 1, 1926.” Such is the inscription of two or three tombstones which stnd in South Broadway, New York, where a subway carries the traffic, allowing the formation of a grass plot in the street. The stones were seen by Mr J. J. Staples, of the “Star” and “Lyttelton Times” advertising staff, on July 16 of this year, when he was passing through New York after attending the annual convention of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World at Philadelphia. "It looks as if they are going for a total of a thousand,” said Mr Staples. “They alter the total after every accident. They had over 500 with half the year gene.” Speaking of the traffic of New York, Mr Staples said that it was terrible to a New Zealander. While he was in New York, one of the subways was out of action through a strike and it was estimated that this had put 50,000 private cars on the streets. “The traffic regulations made it as safe to cross a street in New York as to w: lk along the beach at Brighton, provided that one took notice of the traffic signals,” added the speaker. “The finest thing that I saw in my travels was the London policeman,” said Mr Staples. “Next to him, I would place the drivers of the London General buses. The way that they drive them through the traffic is marvellous.”