POLICEMAN'S LOT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1932, Page 21

POLICEMAN'S LOT

ROAD TRAFFIC ACT

The following is an editorial note that appeared in a recent issue of "The Motor":— 4 ■-~ ..' ' : ;

We have on several occasions fell to.wondering ivbb gains most from the profound and massive legislation under which motorists exist. Is it the motor user? Our answer is. that to.

date' it is questionable. What about tho lawyers? They would seem, to be "Well in the running for first place* And now, the police? Well, one .might say, judging by the old animosities and activities, that it ;is not unreasonable to believe that, they must havo welcomed the many •chance^ provided foi' vigilant espionage'aivd a' rich variety of excuses for prosecution. •.

Well, we have purposely left out one section of probable benefactors because ■we shall have the opportunity—as the result of opinion other.-than our own —«f dropping'them automatically into the mosaic forming the picture. There is .on record the candid opinion of a provincial"- police officer who has'"put up some-very .forcible: statements concerning the Act.

It is this officer's opinion that the Boad Traffic Act is one of the biggest pieces of .humbug-:that over came out of the House of Commons. "A policeman nowadays has little or no opportunity to pcrfomi (he functions that lie was originally cieated to fulfil. His main job is to look, out for offenders against the Uoad Traffic Act."

Here, then, is one gallant officer uho does not like the'new jobs piovided hy the Aci and has the boldness and honesty to say so. But here is the great discovery. Our candid officer eontinuos to tell us,that: "The police-1 man is the servant of the great insurance companies more than the servant of the public. Every one of a thousand minor;accidents on the road has to be: reported in cxtenso. The insurance' companies secure copies of the reports at five shillings each. If they employed their own investigators it would cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. They are the only people who profit by the Road Traffic Act."

How easy it ( is to forget a minor factor like- an insurance company! '