ROAD SAFETY

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20126, 23 February 1937, Page 8

ROAD SAFETY

CONDITION OF VEHICLES. WARRANTB OF FITNEBB. REGULATION REQUIREMENTS. With a view to ensuring greater safety on the roads the Government recently decided that all motor vehicles should be examnied every six months and issued with a Warrant of Fitness. The Hamilton Advisory Committee of the Automobile Association (Auckland), discussed the suggestions at a meeting last evening.

The area officer, Mr V. D. Edwards, held the opinion that a car might become unfit two months after the certificate had been issued, but he agreed that, the scheme was a gooa method of trying to eliminate accidents on the road. He anticipated considerable trouble from the headlamps of vehicles. Permission To Test. To be eligible for approval by the Minister of Transport to test vehicles a garage must be a member of the New Zealand Garage Proprietors’ Association. All garages officially classified as “A” grade, are automatically appointed. If a garage is not. a member of the association, or has not been classified as an "A” grade garage, application must he made if it is desired to be appointed as an examining authority for the issue of Warrants of Fitness under the Traffic Regulations.

A fee of one guinea is charged to cover the cost of inspection of the garage, and successful applicants must also display a special sign outside their garage. The Transport Department has assured the Automobile Association that the fee is to be 2s 6d for each warrant valid for six months, which requires the total expenditure of 5s for each year. Definition of Fitness. The regulations require that the certificate must indicate that the vehicle has efficient brakes, headlights, tail lights, and steering and door locks. The wheel alignment must be correct and the vehicle must be equipped with a rear vision mirror, proper warning device, and a windscreen wiper. The Automobile Association anticipates that it will retain the right to test the lights on members’ cars even though it, may not be permitted to test vehicles and issue Warrants of Fit-

Mr E. B. Roskruge inquired as to the position in the purchase of secondhand vehicles. Mr E. R. Green, patrol-officer, replied that the buyer would be safeguarded for a certificate of fitness would have to be presented when a transfer of ownership was being sought.

On the resolution of Mr F. E. Mason, the meeting decided to recommend to the Auckland executive that Warrants of Fitness should be presented at re-licensing periods before registration plates were issued, in order to ensure that all vehicles on the road had been examined.

The meeting also discussed, the proposals to eliminate mascots on vehicles. It was decided to apply for a definite ruling on the Government’s interpretation of “dangerous.”