TEACHING HER TO DRIVE

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 3

TEACHING HER TO DRIVE

EXPERT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENT [Special to thb ‘Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, March 22. An unusual traffic ease, in which two people were driving 'one car, was heard before Mr Orr Walker, S.M., in tbo Magistrate’s Court to-day, when Dorothy Bennington ami George Henry Farmer were charged with negligent driving cm Dean's avenue. Both pleaded not guilty. Senior-sergeant O’Hara said that the woman defendant was sitting at the wheel of the car and learning to drive, and the young man was beside her and teaching her. The woman actually had the wheel of the car until just helorc it ran into a cyclist, and the man then tried to get her out of the difficulty. Thus, both wore driving. In a statement she made to the police, the woman said that when the ear approached the two cyclists the oihei defendant told her to turn the wheel, hut did not say which way. She turned t.o the left, and ran into the cyclist The cyclist was not injured, hut the cycle was damaged. ‘‘ What do you say about it. senior sergeant,” asked the magistrate. " Who is liableP ” ” .1 suppose the expert who took her into the street to leach her to drive L responsible,” said the senior sergeant. The magistrate held that the woman could not, be convicted because she was being taught to drive, and had an expert alongside her to prevent mishaps. She was really not driving, and the expert should have had sufiicicnt control of the car to prevent such a mishap. He was guilty of a certain amount of negligence, hut had not been grossly negligent. He would be lined I'l and costs. ” What, about my bicycle 7 ” asked the victim of the mishap. " That is a matter for civil action,'’ said the Magistrate.