CARELESS CYCLISTS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 150, 13 July 1937, Page 4

CARELESS CYCLISTS.

In his review last week of road accideut statistics for tke month of June the Minister of Traneport, the Hon. R. Semple, made special reference to the culpability of cyclists. There were altogether 358 accidentB uuring the month} cyclists Were involved in 102 of them} and committed 64 definite breaehes contributlcg to the aecidents. The MOst comffion breaches were reckless of careless riding, failure to keep to the left, failure to signal and failttre to carry lamps at night. The Minister quoted the following aecidents as typical of those in which eyclists were involved with injury to themselves. Three cyclists fiding abreast. one turned acfOss the road Without signallingj was stfuck by a motdr-cycle overtaking the group of cyclistsji the eyelist was seriotisly iujured. A cyclist attempted to overtake a moving car on the wrong side; the car turned to the left; the cyclist coilided With the kerb and sustained a btokeii leg. A cyclist with no light and no reflector coilided at night "with a moving motor-cycie; the cyclist was seriousiy injufed. A car driver suddeniy saw an unllghted bicycle appear in front. Ne swefved, but the door handle struck the cyclist, inflicting a deep flesh Woukd. It is gratifying ot S6e that the plans for "more drastie action" Which the Minister has announced are to be directed against these offenders> aiid pedestrians, as well as against motorists. The tally of aecidents shows that motorists have a good deal to answer for, but there hits been too great a tendency to iasten on their shoulders the whole of the blaine foz the prcBent hoavy toii of the zohds*