70 MILES AN HOUR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 74, 14 April 1937, Page 4

70 MILES AN HOUR

Stock Agent's Driving in Railway Road, £5 FINE IMPOSED A speed of 70 miles an hour along Railway road in the borongfi boundary was allegjed by tfie Hastings Borough Traffie Officer, Mr D. Mann, wflen D. H. F- O'Donogfiue, a Hastings stock agent, was charged in the Hastingl; Magistrate' s Court this morning with driving a car at a speed dangerous to tfie public, and also at a speed in excess of 30 miles an fiour M the borough. Mr Manu said tfiat defendant was foilowed along Railway road by witness and Inspector Semple, of tfie Transport Department. Cfiecked Cver fialf-a-niile from fiis entrance to tficfiorougfi, defendant entered tfie borough at 65 miles an fiour, rising to 67 miles an fiour, and passing) tfie racecourse, he was doing a speed of 70 miles an fiour. Mr T. O'Dowd, tor defendant, wfio did not appear, pleaded guilty. Defendant had been driving) cars for a large number of years and this was tfie first time fie fiad offended- Tfie distance over wfiicfi tfie car fiad been checked was only half-a-mile, . and practically all tfiia lengtfi did not contain a/ single gate or opening, There wa« no pbssibility of danger to the public, and th® road was absolutely clear. Tfie car was a modern car witfi good brakes, Traffic-Officer Mann said that he Was of tfie opinion tfiat tfie car could not fiave pulled up 'if a car fiad come out of one of tfie side streets. Mr 0,'Dowd pointed* out tfiat traffic coming out from any side streets would have to give way. "You. can't naonopolise tfie road,'' remarked tfie Magistrate, Mr J. Miller. "Higfi-powered cars are alyays getting into trouble. After fiearing tfie evidenoe, the Magistrate said tfiat fie would oonvict th® defendant on fiotfi counts. Defendant was fined £5 with costs 10/- on th® cfiarge of dangerous driving, wfiile oa tfie otfier charge he was convicted and discfiarged. Tfie Magistrate also ordered tfiat defendant's Hcence fie endorsed. "Defendant knows the limits,^ remarked the Magistrate in giving his decision. "He must fiave known fie was offending. He was driving at too fast a speed. Had this been a street with intersections, fiis licenc© wouJd have been caucelled altogether. The Court can| allow this excessive speed."