THE RULE OF THE ROAD.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10175, 24 October 1898, Page 2

THE RULE OF THE ROAD.

TO TIIK EDITOS OF THE FUESSf. j Sir,—lt is stated that the police of j < Christchurch have received strict instruc- ] tions to put down with a firm hand "scorch- } ing" and "scorchers." If such is so, it is a well; for the person of the citizen should i be safeguarded as closely as possible—his t life is of value to a municipality, even if it t only keep him on the roll of ratepayers. The i furious and reckless scorcher is a menace, j both to others safety and his own. Some t may consider the-latter of little moment; i vet the scorcher is a ratepayer in posse, and j must not be allowed to escape the collector, i Now, sir, I think you will agree with mc 1 * that the police, while the i« scorcher, should apply their attention to J < another nuisance oi the roadway and en- j; deavour to suppress it. I refer to the evil; • practice of driving and riding on the wrong;' side of the road. I have been a sojbnrner ! in not a few large towns, both in the [ .! colonies and in the old land, yet nowhere : have I seen the evil so general as in Christ-' church. Has the city no law bearing on the rule of the road? If so, why are those t who use the road not compelled to recognise , it? Drivers of vehicles, and riders of ' horses and of cycles habitually ignore and ] transgress the rule. It would seem that j, they thought there should be but one side!! of the road, and that the wrong one. I my-1 self, who am a rider of the bicycle, have' frequently had my bones and my boneshaker < in danger of being broken through adhering • to what I have always considered my right < side. N_ot more than a week ago I, while pedalling/soberly along Worcester street. ,to-'. ! frards Ljuwood, and keeping religiously on ; j the left hand side, was thrust into the ' i jjcuppers by a damsel on castors, happily I escaping with no severer injury than 'a , scornful feminine smile. j Sir, there is much danger to life and limb by reason of this wrongsidedness. I have heard of several accidents which have resulted from it, and I consider that it would be of great benefit to the community were the police instructed to give their strict at-. tention to this matter, and that all breaches of the rule of the road were punished.— Yours, &c, "VTRGATOR.