"SAFETY FIRST!"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 75, 22 December 1919, Page 11

"SAFETY FIRST!"

CONTROL OF MOTOR TRAFFIC

ACTION NECESSARY (By "Civis") There is no one but who will agree that in ono .respect our control of traffic is not ivhat it should be. A list of accidents and fatalities which have occurred on tho streets of Wellington during the present year, that could easily bo compiled, would make grim rcadviig, and if that list _is not to lw expanded something drastic will liflvc to 'be dono to'cope with tho rapid growth of motor traffic in our streets. The primitive means to that end hitherto in force do not meet the . situation. That is the considered opinion of Mr. L. S. Drake, the Chief Motor Inspector, who is very much alive to the city's requirements. The City Council, too, liaa been moved, to action, and there uro many who hope to see t'liat action made a real deterrent to the cnreless , and reckless. Some four years ago tho traffii! liod grown to Mich an extent that the City Council contracted with the Polico Department to have three men on point duty at Stowurt Dawson's, tho Albert and AVinder's corners, and their work Sins been distinctly good. But it is not. on'lv at thoefl places that control is needed. It is a general control over every vard of our streets —a control that will be made" effective with strong legislative backing in our Courts. At present there is too much freedom allowed motorist's. In the City Council on Thursday . evening mention was made of tho fact that heavy lnotor-lor-K6S having no business in particular to do in the main business streets should be made to use tfte back streets rather ttan cumber up the extremely busy and very narrow ways in mid-city. Some of the larger modern lorries aro so broad that mien itiavelling along Manneits Street and Cuba Street there aro only inches between tllcm and the side-step of a trararav —and yet they luivo the freedom of such streets and nso it, because the "wood-blocked, streets, make for smcotih running, l'olicc officers and motor inspectors (of whom moro are needed) might bo given the right to stop sucli 'vehicles and demand to know their business in such thoroughfares, and if found to bo nought, to' take action by way of prosecution. Thifi' ttnd other necessary steps point the way to a comnleto revision of our motor by-laws, which must bo given the strength of legislative authority. It, however, is not alono in our busiest streets that accidents occur. J lost of the motoristfi on approaching street intersections do not slow down at all unless they perceive a possible obstruction ahead, whoreas .under the Wellington city by-laws of a quarter of a century ago, all horse-drawn traffic was compelled' to round corners at a walking pace! Whilst it is obvious tlint stringent regulations should be made to control and restrict motor traffic—always with an eyo to its rapid growth in tlio futurp—the public must bo taken in bond, too, % tho city authorities and instructed. under .penalties, to go the way it should go. The time lias arrived when in our busiest streets cprtain crossing places' should be provided for . pedestrians, who should not be permitted to cross at any other jwint This may seem a drastic provision, but it is absolutely essential to tilio safety of the public. Motorists can tell stories and incidents without number which appear to establish the fact that there, are llioso about out; streets., who are self-elected members of the Suicido Club (to put the ease flippantly). That being the easo motor traffic, must bo mado as fool-proof .as the caliphout, and one way of bringing that about is to provide certain crossing places in Cuba Street, Manners Street. Willis Street, and T<ambton Qi'av, and insist that no one crosses tho road except by such means. Were that dene, and all motor-cars, vans, and cycles compelled to slow down to. say, four miles an hour at street intersections, much would 1)0 accomplished. Other danger spots are tlicvie streets on to whidt public schools abut, and which, ivhcn llio schools are released at noon and 3.30 p.m., become' mo re or less flooded T."ith children who ennnot be expected to liavo 111.) same sense of care as adultfl. Ono head teaclio? recently made the. sin tern en t that his heart was often in Jus mouth as motors, travelling nt anything between 20 and 30 miles an hour. shot, past, th" sehoolground when the children were about. H was good to heir the council s dcci'Tou to send Mr. W. IT. Morton (City Engineer) abroad. Now that he has returned lie may be primed as to the very best and latest methods of making imr streets reasonably «afe. without infiielrng hardships on either the motorists or the pedestrian public. t> MESS-TABLE GOSSIP. Captain A. K. Davcy, of tho Talunc, is to take command of the Navua, relieving Captain F. G. Bilton, who will take command of the Taluuo. Jlr. C. Naismith, engineer of tho Blenheim, has signed off. Mr. W. Whiting is now purser on the Mapourika, vice Mr. H. Ferguson. The following steamers wore expected to he within range of Wellington wireless station last night:—ltonowai, Gorala, Moana. and Iris. Auckland—Port Sydney, Waitemata, Arahura. Flora, Maheno, Niagara. Awanui—Niagara, City of Bombay. The cable ship Iris finished her work in Cook Strait on Saturday, and sailed for Auckland yesterday. The Ivamo sailed for Greymouth on Saturday. She is to load back to Wellington. The Calm arrived at Wellington yesterday from Lyttelton. She is to go on to Wanganui to-day. The Palonne. left Melbourne at 6 p.m. on Friday for Bluff a,nd Dunedin.