MOTOR HORNS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16984, 5 November 1920, Page 7

MOTOR HORNS.

SUGGESTED ROAD RULES.

An interesting discussion arose at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the South Island Motor Union last night on .the respective r duties of' motorists on a main road approaching a cross road, and of motorists emerging from a cross road on to a main road. | The chairman (Mr F. W. Johnston) remarked that a local magistrate held that the onus and duty were equally | upon each. That was all right in one I sense, because it meant that each had to take the very greatest care. On tlie other hand, if it were to be perpetuated it was going to result in motorists becoming an absolute pest and nuisance. For instance, a motorist j coming down. Papanui road would be ! under the necessity of incessantly j sounding the liorrt, and residents would not aprociate that kind of thing. He himself had taken to blowing t-lie horn | at every cross road, and had saved him- ! self twice from boing run into by I motorists coming out of cross roads. But if every motorist on Papanui road did the same they would malco themselves a nest and a nuisance, and there would be the same trouble as that mentioned by Professor Wall. In view of the much smaller number of motorists emerging from cross roads, he thought it would be better if tlio greater onus were thrown upon them. Mr J. S. Hawkes said that it would simplify matters if such were made the rule. The chairman said that there was a Scottish case which was "chockful of good commonsense," which threw the greater onus on the man coming on to a. main road from a road other than a main road. ■> Mr N. M. Orbell said that he motored down Papanui road pretty often, and it was a matter of keeping his hand on the horn all the time. The chairman: When these idiots come out of cross roads it is not safe to come down Papanui road without blowing your horn. Mr A. E. Ansell said that in Otago it was recognised that the man on the main road had the right of the road, and that it was the duty of the man emerging from a cross road to see that tlio road was clear. Difficulty arose, however, in country districts in deciding which was the niain road. The chairman said that in the case of roads equal in degree there should be equal onu3 on both motorists; but whero a road was palpably a main road the onus should be on the motorist coming out of a cross road. It was decided to put the.subject on the «.rder paper for discussion at the Quarterly meeting at Dunedin on the 29tli inst.