CITY MOTOR SPEEDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 7

CITY MOTOR SPEEDS.

decision of court. SIGN-POSTS ABE NOT NEEDED. Hecently tho police took over from the municipal authorities tho control of street traffic, and recently tho first fow rases brought against motorists under the- now tegimo were hoard in tho Magistrate s Court. In ono of these cases tho question was raised as to whether motorists oan 1)0 convictcd of breaking tho speed limits unless those limits aro placarded. In this case Douglas Harrison wins charged with having driven a motor-car at a speed greater than six mtlos per hour round the corner of Grey btreet and Lambton Quay. Sergeant Henry gave evidence to the. effect thiat he had scon Harrison drive round the corner at tho rato of twelve milo3 per hour. Mr. Wilfonl contended that under bcction 6, Sub-section 2, of the Motor R«R™ a ; tions Act, 1908, the Court would find that tho local authorities havo to set up signposts denoting tho limit of speed at which motors may proceed at any particular place. The first thing b local authority had to do was to put up sign-posts at a place where they desired a speed limit. On Mr. T. F. Martin's ailvico they had done this at Potone and Lower Hutt. No sign-posts had been erected at Y\ el; lington. and consequently no information could lie until such posts were put.up. A second point raised by Mr. Wuford was that the Wellington city authorities had neglected to provo that that body was a registering authority within the Act. Further, ho contended that tho city authorities had no power to Jna&o bylaws limiting a speed. Tho Motor regulations Act of 1903 whs the parent ot all motor by-laws, and that Act merely regulated speed which was dangerous to the pnblic. . _ Judgment in the above caso, was given yesterday. His Worship said, in the course of his judgment, that he doubted if the law quoted by Mr. Wilford was applicable to street .comers. Continuing, his Worship said:— I think tho sub-section is directory only, and beioro holding that it is applicable it would be necessary to show that the council deemed this particular street corner was dangerous, and' thero is no evidence to that effect. The sign-post required under tho sub-section is only necessary to notify tho limit of speed to be maintained over somo piart of a road winch is deemed to be dangerous. All drivers of motors aro presumed to ltnow bylaws regulating the. speed of vehicles round street corners, and these pl»«9 are so well known that they need not bo particularly pointed out. This. is n a prosecution under tho Act, but for a breach of the by-law, tand defendant is not relieved from tho responsibility because the council has not carried out an act which in the present case the Court considers unnecessary. Deiendant will be convicted and ordered to pay Court costs (75.).