CARS CONTINUE TO KILL MORE PEOPLE

Chronicle (Levin), 5 September 1946, Page 4

CARS CONTINUE TO KILL MORE PEOPLE

AUGUST ROAD FATALITIES ^ 3 "During the montn of August, 24 people lost their lives in road accidents," said the Commissioner of Transport (Mr. G-. L. Laurenson) in a statement to the .press. With these further 24 fatalities the death roll of 136 for the first eight months of 1946 now exceeds that for the whole of 1945. Eight of those killed during August were passengers and six were drivers of motor-vehicles. Seven pedestrians were killed, six in accidents involving motor cars, trucks or huses, and one in collision with a motor-cycle. Of the remaining three victims two were motorcyclists and one a cyclist. " During August the inspeetors of the Department devoted particular attentiou to faulty headliglits on niotorveljiples, ' said t.he ( Jonniu.ssfoner,,' 4 an d thi.4 5 * driv'e ' ' has been suppofteU by publieity direeted j against headliglit dazzle. In spiie of'the publieity given beforehanfl a vefy I'nrge nurnber of ^nolor^vel'iR-les were- 'folirid witli 'faulty headliglits and many drivers failed to di|) their :]i;ghte wli^h approaeliing "Athev traftic;'" •' In' Some distr'ihts during the 'da.rlv p'art" df the nvonth 'more tha'ii 20 'pfer 'eent. of tlr'e vehie.les were found to 'be' faulty in l'ospeet of lights, but as Mhe series of cheeks by the traflfie. and V'ehiele inspeettors eontinufld n. mavked iiiiprovemenf took place and it ean be ■said that today' there are eomparatively few dfiVfers who ignof'e the- dipping requirement or whose lights I'etuam wrongly foeussed. The eooperation of the nTeiorihg pubiic in this flrive was excellent, all drivers being very readv to make the alterations to their lights whon the defects were pointed out to them. r "During Reptember special attention is l)eifig directed by enforcempnt officers and through propagauda to tlie care that. pedestrians should exercise in order to play their part in trafiic safety. The precautions that are being stressed are verv elementarv ones, sueh as: Iveep to tlie footpath, or the extreme edge of the' road when there is no footpath; walk so as to face oncoming traffic; stop and look to see if the road is clear before erossing, and take special care on the road at night. Neglect of these Precautions'; is 'largely... yesponsible for ■tlie heavy toll of . pe'destriaji. fatalities and injuries .'feboHtleiS • yj'y j. . "j':*; -v '