MORE ROAD ACCIDENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 10, 13 January 1941, Page 6

MORE ROAD ACCIDENTS

TRAGIC WASTE OF LIFE ( DURING HOLIDAYS

COMMENT BY MINISTER I Per Press Association.. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 11. "Between December 23 and January 5, 17 persons were killed and many hundreds were injured in road accidents,” said the Minister of Transport, Hon. R. Semple, to-day. "This tragic waste of life is the worst that has occurred for several years and compares most unfavourably with the total of nine deaths recorded during the corresponding period last year. “It was confidently expected,” said the Minister, “that lower petrol consumption would be accompanied by a reduced number of accidents. The lessened risks resulting form a smaller volume of traffic were, however, offset by the evident increase in carelessness and, in some cases, by an almost incomprehensible disregard for the mast elementary rules of safety. "A particularly sad feature of the holiday toll was that 70 per cent, of the persons killed were passengers. Drivers need to realise more vividly that however prepared they may be to take risks themselves, they assume awful responsibility if they needlessly gamble with the lives of others. “I would like to express sympathy to those who, during the holiday season, lost relatives in traffic accidents. I hope that in the coming year all road users will do their best to eliminate the tragedies.”