ROAD ACCIDENTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 3

ROAD ACCIDENTS

-Presi Abbocio tion.)

Still Cause of Grave Concern To Minister

I By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Boad acoident statistics conjpiled during June were supplied to-day by Hon. ii. Semple, Minister of Transport; 358 accidents being reported. ' 1 These . figures cause me grave concern," he'said, "when 1 see they involved 447 persons ox whom 25 were killed, 89 seriously injured and 333 slightly injured. l feel more drastie action is requirod. " Cyclists, he said, figured prominently in many of the accidents and in the ; June cases pedestrians figured in 96. ; "It is evident from the reports .that in a grdat number of instances the pedestrian himself was at fault, exercising little care in crossing the highway. There are numerous cases of children running out into the street oblivious of danger from passing traffic. "A striking feature of the pedestrian accidents is thh exceedingly large proportion where the more elderly men and women were victims to road accidentB. In tho June total of 99 pedestrian victims 21 were children ajid 36 were persons over 50, ten being over 65. "While in many of these instances the pedestrian was perhaps legally at fault the figures seemed to inCicate that greater care and consideration should be shown by motorists for the less active members of the community sx:d due ailowance should be mffve for the irresponsible actions of children.'' The Minister said he was seelcing the co-operation of tho Police Department and all traffic authorities in securing much better observanco of the rules oi the road and stricter enforcement. He has issucd instructions to his traffic staff to watch for offending dazzling lights and5 he exkorted motorists to observe and act upon thc road signs provided ior their bencfit.