ROAD ACCIDENTS.

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 2

ROAD ACCIDENTS.

“The relative liability of motor-cycles, rental-cars and taxi s to accident injury is clearly shown by tlie latest figures 1 taken out by my Department,” said the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, Avhen commenting oh tlie graph from the figures, published above. “Rental-cars and taxis in the past 30 months have averaged approximately 6 accidents for every million miles, compared with an average of 3.5 accidents for private cars, 2.1 for commercial

vehicles, and, safest of all, 1.2 for buses and service cars.. On the mileage run, hoAvever, motor-cyclists are easily the most liable to accident, having a rate of 11.2 accidents for every million miles. On an average, 1 in every 9 taxis and 1 in every 12 rental-cars has had an accident during the last 10 months. The Road Safety Council at it s recent meet- v ing passed a .recommendation that unless the motor-cycle rate showed an improve- . ment in the .three months before the next meeting, consideration be given at that meeting to the advisability of fixing a special speed limit for motor-cycles. The Council was also of opinion that special attention should be paid to the enforcement. of. traffic regulations in the case of taxis. It wa© suggested during the discussion, that the .question of revoking taxi drivel's’ license s for serious breaches of the regulations should also be considered. With a-view; to securing better control the < rental-car problem is to he specially investigated by my Department.”