More Responsibility Thrown On Motorist

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1949, Page 6

More Responsibility Thrown On Motorist

WELLINGTON, Oct, 10. Thirteen children under five years had been injured in road aecidents thisf year in circumstanees suggesting that they could have been avoided by the motorists concerned in every case. Ofiicial statistics state as the cause of each accident that the child was crossing the roadway heedless of traffie. This information was made available by the Transport Department today when Commissioner G. L. Laurenson was approached about his recent statement on the responsibiiities of motorists in aecidents involving children un der school age. The Department 's records show that there were 58 such aecidents this year in the period till about the end of August. The 'circumstanees in 13 of these were very similar, the Department stat ed. The Motorist had good visibility and the child appeared on his right. A motorist keeping a reasonable iookoui shouid have seen the child when it lirst appeared on the roadway. If the motorist were travelling on his correct side of the road the child would have had at least half the width of the road to cover before it was struck. The motorist in each case stated he was travelling at a ruoderate speed and the Department said an analysis of the facts indicated that he could have stopped before hitting the child even if going much fast er than stated. In at least oue case he could have stopped short of the cliild if he had been travelling at 60 miles an hour. The children involved in these acci deiits were aged two to four years. They were all waiKjug — uot runuing — ucross the road. In all cases the child was injured — iu some cases seriously. An officer of the Department specially concerned with child safety, wluwas also approached, said that the training which could be given young children did not prevent them acting on the impulse. Such an impulse might bt a desii'e to go to a friend seen acros.the road or to chase a hat or ball. Thin was particularly true of pre-school age children who were in the main just as irresponsible as animals. Some motorists apparently did not realise that young children had no road sense and that even when a child did realise the danger in crossing a road, he was less able than the motorist to appreciate distance

and speed of approach — factors with which some motorists of long experience had great diliiculty. Otticial statistics state that in 169 aecidents involving pre-school age chil dren in the past two years, the chilcl pedestrian had been held at fault in 152 cases and the motorist in 17 cases.