TRAMWAY LIFE GUARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1174, 8 July 1911, Page 7

TRAMWAY LIFE GUARDS.

Sir,—lt is to be hoped that the recent deplorable tram fatality will rouse the public mind to the urgent necessity for a more common-senso life guard than that with which our cars are at present equipped. It does not take an expert, to see the-futility of the present contrivance which the authorities chpo'se to deceive themselves is capable of saving life. The victim of the recent accident was found upon the "life guard"—but in a dying state, and this, I ventute to suggest, will be tho sum total of its capabilities in tho great majority'of such cases. It would be little short of miraculous for any other result to take place, for the position of this guard, some three or four feet underneath the car, almost completely nullifies its utility. Why, I should ask, is it necessary for tho unfortunato 0110 to run the almost, certain risk of violent collision with the projecting ironwork and, perforce', find himself right underneath the car before any attempt is made to save him ? How much more practicable • are the life guards in use in Christchurch, where the absent-minded straj-er upon the track is lifted from the jaws of death into a comfortable iron Scoop, projecting in advance of tho Car itself. Why cannot some such system obtain in our city, where the increased dangers of its narrow streets make, this matter of even greater moment? I trust that you will lend your able assistance to a movement that may result in the saving of valuable lives in the accidents which must inevitably occur from time to time—l am, etc., A. LEIGH HUNT. Hastings, July 5, ?911."-"- :;"-.', ::,.,..