RENTAL CAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 137, 7 December 1938, Page 5

RENTAL CAR

OWNER FINED

(Special to the "Evening Post")

PAIJI.MERSTON N., This Day. "The biiakes of the car were in an appalling I.cbndition. The foot brake was almosl; useless, and in a test with the car trg veiling at 20 miles an hour, it could n*>t be pulled up in under 140 feet. Thg hand brake was entirely useless," sjaid Traffic Inspector Semple when des| bribing the condition of a rental car hired out to Thomas James Roon^y, {contractor, of Feilding, by Percy Goldsmith Guy, garage proprietor, of Fi aiding. Both were charged in the Fej Iding Magistrate's Court with failing to. have a warrant of fitness for the vehicj c.

Traffic Inspector Semple said that the department did not press for a penalty bis far as Rooney was concerned, teiut looked upon the case against Cmy as being very serious. He quoted soatistics which revealed that one in efj'ery six rental cars was involved ixpi an accident. Rental cars were responsible for a high percentage of the serious road accidents, and Guy's car? was the worst he had seen as regard?); brakes. As far as the warrant of f|tness was concerned, it was really a ciise of a warrant being issued by the cab1 owner for his own cars. He had had '^complaints about Guy's cars before. •

The Magistrate said he would not fine Roon^y. but Guy would be fined £3. "If you see Guy, you can tell him of the seriousness of the offence and that if thgjre is any more letting out of cars mi that condition, the penalty will be Ikaavier," the Magistrate said to the triffic inspector.