THE OPEN EXHAUST

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 84, 3 January 1935, Page 6

THE OPEN EXHAUST

Complaints continue to be heard about the nuisance created by motor-cyclists in Wellington riding their machines with open exhausts. These persons know perfectly well that in doing so they are breaking the traffic regulations; yet they keep on, feeling secure, no doubt, in the apparent inability of the traffic authorities to stop them. If the nuisance could be stopped in London, as pointed out by a correspondent yesterday, it. should surely be possible to eliminate it in such'a comparatively small place as Wellington. There is a strong public opinion against the noise caused by the open exhausts, but the protect is passive. It could, be made active, and effective, if people took a note of the registration numbers of the offenders as they passed, and reported them. It is not always possible to do that, of course, especially at night when the annoyance caused by the racket, is increased. But so far as it can be given such assistance no doubt would be appreciated by the traffic officers. Then, if they were to concentrate upon the job of hunting down the offenders over a period, and salutary punishment meted out to those who were caught, the regulations would be more widely respected. As it is they appear to be held in contempt.