HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20522, 11 June 1938, Page 28 (Supplement)

HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

hcAD T.'.Afc-t 1C FRC6LEM

SAFETY AM' SPEED ! SOME FUIJD FOR THOUGHT I =n;>tv first piT.p;<-nndist.s ami Olliers l I ,'is- '>■ i-i *it \\llll t:,i* i’illii'ls If k-mppl- ' will, I lent problem are jtm\ will, in...1 fur tllfUEht in tile I ami.,;in.in. in Unit. ,im-e Die 3U m.p.h. : I'Peeil I 111 I ill I areas was | I.r-.II* It pcralii.il in the Sydney met 1 tan Hi'ca, t raffle accidents had I in«TcMM*d great Iv during the first three ; in nth' -.1 the oar. The authority for this statement Mr 11. J. Mitchell, Superintendent of the Sydney District Ambulance claims that the speed limit regulations had not only introduced a new type of accident, but had bred a “fear complex’’ in the minds of many ; New South Wales motorists. Since the implementing of the speed restriction in built-up areas around Sydney, claims on insurance companies, he stated, had increased by 20 per cent. The New South Wales experience is paralleled by that of Great Britain, which also has a 30 m.p.h. speed limit in built-up areas. A recent analysis by the British Minister of Transport of 200,000 road accidents involving personal injury in that country, revealed that, for the 12 months ended March, 1937. there were 3999 fatalities, 34.894 cases of serious injury and 115,507 accidents which caused slight injury WITHIN “SPEED LIMIT” AREAS. The figures for accidents which occurred on roads where speed was not restricted were respectively 2338, 15,825 and 26,499. Of the 200,000 accidents meticulously investigated by the authorities, 33.6 per rent, were attributed to faulty driving. 22.8 per cent, to pedal cyclists, 30.5 per rent, to pedestrians and only 3.6 per cent, to the vehicles or their equipment. Chief Faults of Drivers The chief faults of the drivers responsible for 66.982 accidents were : Emerging or turning from one road into another without due care, 12.9 per cent, of that total; skidding. 10.4 ! per cent.; overtaking improperly or | cutting in. in.2 per cent.; inattentive jor attention diverted, 9.8 per cent.; misjudging clearance, distance or speed of another vehicle, 9.2 per cent.; proceeding at excessive speed having regard to conditions, 9.1 per cent.; failure to keep to near side of road. 5.7 per cent.; swerving, 4.7 per cent.; losing control, 3.4 per cent., and dazzled by lights of another vehicle, 3.2 per cent. All told, pedestrians were Involved In 60,615 traffic accidents, or nearly 40 per cent, of the fata] accidents on the road, and 30 per cent, of the nonfatal cases. The major faults of the pedestrians were ascribed to: Heedless :of traffic whilst crossing roads, 44.3 per cenf. of the total of pedestrian, traffic accidents, and walking or running out from, In front of or behind vehicle or object which masked movement, 20.9 per cent". In all, 14,500 . accidents were attributable to the fact jthat children under 7 years of age were unaccompanied or Inadequately superi vised. | Consideration of these facts points ; to the need of a thorough eonsidera- . tlon of the road traffic problem.

A COLUMN FOR MOTORISTS

SAFE GRIP ON ROAD

DISCARDING OLD TYRES j No matter lmw well-kept a motor ! oar may be. it is a source of great potential danger to its occupants and other road users if it is not properly shod. This is particularly the case in winter, when roads are .often wo I and ’more frequent braking and sud- . den changes of direction. Trouble is in store for the motorist : who uses badly-worn tyres with smooth running-surfaces, and perhaps) 'with cuts in the sides. Punctures are j inevitable with such tyres, and blowouts, which often have disastrous effects, are simply invited by such carelessness. Even if the ear does not- leave the road when a blow-out occurs, it is more than likely that the tube will be damaged beyond repair, and that the cost of renewals, quite apart from the danger involved, would probably equal the saving made by retaining the worn tyre. It is poor economy to he mean in the matter of tyres. Good tyres and tubes, free from cuts and undue wear, are a valuable insurance in an emergency. Experienced motorists as a rule put the best tyres on the front, as a front-wheei blow-out is much more difficult to control.

MOTOR BUS SERVICES

AMERICA’S BIG FIGURES During 1937, motor buses in U.S.A. engaged in city and inter-city services, carried 3.44 1 .OOO.Ono passengers over 393,350 miles of streets and highways. Bus miles for the year reached over 2,184,000,000 miles. The total revenue for Ihe 12 months’ operations exceeded £99,000.000, of which £32.150.000 or 32.8 ppr cent, was expended in wages and salaries. All told. 51,500 buses were in operation. After paying ail expenses, including depreciation. the net profit for the year was about £9.000.000, or about £176 per bus. All told, 1 18,870 employees working for 4155 companies are engaged in the industry. That bus operations in that country are a payable proposition is evidenced by the fact that 8342 new modern buses were in 1937 put into service with accommodation to seat 237,281 passengers. In addition, a further 9892 school buses were built and went into service, bringing the total engaged in this work to 78,100 vehicles, which, during 1937. carried 646,000,000 children to and from school on 200 school days. The value of the motor buses owned and operated in U.S.A. is now jU9t under £112,000,000, while the value of the terminals, garages and equipment exceeds £41,000,000. In all, over £150,000,000 are now invested in this modern transportation field in U.S.A., the expenditure in new buses in 1937 alone exceeding £16,750,000.

USED CAR SALES

RESETTING THE SPEEDOMETER A subject that is receiving considerable attention in automobile trade circles in Great Britain and in the U.S.A. is the question of resetting to zero the speedometers on used cars and trucks before the machines are offered for re-sale. The suggestion in both countries is that it should be a general trade practice to reset to zero the speedometer of every used machine passing through the hands of dealers and sell the vehicles on their merit. The basic reason behind the campaign is that mileage readings are nol always to be trusted and are subject tc abuse. It is quite possible that a car or tr v uck may be run for long periods with the speedometer out of order, and not registering. Again, a car that has been driven properly for 30,000 miles may be in a better condition than another which has been badly handled for 20.000 miles. In England and in the U.S.A.. many traders have already adopted the practice of setting back the speedometers on the used cars they sell, considering it more equitable and satisfactory to price and market the machines in accordance with their respective condition and potential life. The policy is one that, no doubt, will be given mature consideration by motor dealer organisations in this country.