A DEATH A DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 10

A DEATH A DAY

SHARE OF ALCOHOL

MAGISTRATE'S COMMENT

MOTORISTS SENT TO PRISON

Reference to the fact that motor fatalities had now reached the point of a death a day and that the consumption of liquor by motorists was in many cases responsible for the accidents was made by Mr, J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, when three cases against intoxicated motorists were heard.

Counsel suggested that one case illustrated the folly of any driver taking any liquor at all and then placing himself in charge of a car, because if his breath smelt of liquor and he had an accident the inference would be that he was intoxicated and that that -was the reason for the accident. The Magistrate said that the problem of intoxicated motorists would never be solved until there was an absolute prohibition against their taking alcoholic liquor within a specified time before driving. The ' danger of the slightly intoxicated driver, apart from the nearly drunken driver, was stressed strongly.

"Probably the slightly intoxicated driver is the greatest danger at the present time," said the Magistrate. "As I have pointed out before his power of minute judgment is impaired, and he gets a false sense of confidence. He is the most difficult person to deal with, because if he has an accident he is able to pull himself together, and it is sometimes impossible to prove that he was intoxicated.

"It is only by reason of accidents that many of the intoxicated motorists come before the Court. It is quite clear that many intoxicated motorists get away with it, and it is because | they get away with it that they do it j with impunity. We are now averaging one death a day, and in many cases these are the result of the motorists having consumed alcoholic liquor. It is because there arc so many people who think that they can take it and have taken it, and who continue to do so, that these offences continue.to be committed." PENALTIES IMPOSED. Alfred John Douglas, a labourer, aged 30. charged with being intoxicated in! charge of a car on the Titahi-Porirua main highway on May 14, and Donovan Donovan, a salesman, aged 29, charged with , being intoxicated in I I charge of a car in Willis Street on May 13, were each convicted and sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment with hard labour, and Harry Hughes, a waterside worker, aged 36, charged with being intoxicated in charge in Taranaki Street on May 20, and who had once previously been convicted of a similar offence, was convicted and sentenced to 14 .days' imprisonment with hard labour. Douglas and Donovan each had their driving licences suspended and were prohibited from obtaining others for a period of twelve j months, and Hughes, whose licence was also suspended! was prohibited from obtaining another for a period of two! years. I The case against Donovan, the main evidence in which was heard last Monday, was adjourned to enable counsel (Mr. W. P. Rollings) to call certain evidence as to the movements j of the car, and also to testify that Donovan did not drive the car while he was in an intoxicated condition. Evidence was given by another occu-J pant of the car that he had met Donovan at a restaurant at about 12.45 a.m. with another man. they had gone to a dance, and later got some beer in a room at another place. Witness had some beer and slept, but the others kept on drinking. He awoke about 6.30 a.m., and Donovan was fairly drunk. Witness described how he had driven the car from Ghuznee Street to Willis Street, and said that.Donovan did not drive the car, and did not attempt to drive it. At that time witness did not think Donovan was capable of driving a car. The accused, giving evidence, said he had a fair amount of liquor, and after the dance he left the car outside, jas he knew he was not in a fit condition to drive it. last he could remember was being in the room drinking with the two other men. The Magistrate said that the evidence did not satisfy, him that there were any extenuating circumstances in the case. In the case against Douglas, Inspector A. C. Crawford described how, at 1.15 a.m., he had overtaken another car on the highway returning from Titahi Bay. About half a mile further on he came across the defendant over the side of the road on a rather bad bend. Witness described how he had subsequently formed the opinion that the defendant was intoxicated, and had brought him into the Central Police Station for examination. ■ Police and medical evidence was also given, Dr. E. Griffin describing the case as a border-line one. A DANGEROUS PLACE. Questioned by counsel (Mr. G. C. | Kent), Inspector Crawford admitted that it was a bad corner where the accused went off the road, and that he knew a number of cars had gone over the embankment in the vicinity during the last few- months. Mr. Kent called evidence to show that the accused, after a long day, attended a cabaret at Titahi Bay. He manoeuvred the car quite normally in the parking place, drove normally down the road, and would probably have got into town without difficulty i had he not been involved in an acci- ! dent. This was a particularly dangerous corner, he said. There was no suggestion of speed on the part of the j defendant, but the fact that there were ! four people in the front seat might j have in some way been responsible for the accident. , Giving evidence in the case against Hughes, Constable Rippon described how he had seen the accused, in com-p.-iy with two other men and a woman, come out of a hotel in Taranaki Street shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday. Witness was of the opinion that they were all intoxicated, and watcned "them. They all crossed the road and got into a car. He heard the starter turning the engine over, and ciossed over to find the accused aitting in the driver's seat. The accused said he had had four drinks, and admitted that he was the driver. The two men. who were in the back, were practically drunk, and the woman was also under the influence of liquor.

Outlining the defence, Mr. R. Hardio Boys, counsel for Hughes, said that the accused attended a football match at the Basin Reserve in company with two seamen from the Port Wellington. They left the accused's car in Tarani.ki Street and went by tram, to the match. The accused said that he had. at midday that day, arranged with a man named Kendrick, who was to have the use of his car, to pick it up at, 6 p.m., when the accused would hand over the keys to him. The accused and the two men from the