"TRAGIC THE ONLY WORD FOR IT"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 199, 8 September 1937, Page 9

"TRAGIC THE ONLY WORD FOR IT"

-PreBB Association.)

Minister Alarmed At N.Z. Road Accidents

CAR-SMASH STATISTICS

(By Telegraph.-

WELLINGTON; Last Niglit. "Ninety-two Kew Zcalanders. have been killed and 1895 injured, 300 of them seriously, in xoad accidents xeported during the twenty-four weeks ended August '61," is the announcement made by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. E. Semplc. "At this rate the casualties for the full year will, exeecd 4000," said the Minister, 4 ' Tragic is the only word for it. ' • "The position i3 better, however, than it was for the corresponding period of last year. The deaths theu were 112, as compared with 92 for the present period. The efforts of the Government, the Eoad Safety Council, and others asssiting in .the campaign, have brought about this reduction notwithstanding the big increase in the volume of trafiic, but none of us cau alford to accept this improved position as being entirely satisfactory. The total is still an alarming onfe, and continued and greater efforts by all are urgently necessary. "For the twenty-four weeks the deaths reported are: — Pedestrians 29 Motor-cyclists 14 PusL-cyclists 9 Motor-drivers 15 Passengers 25 "The injured, eoinprising men, women, and children of varying ages, and many of whom are stiil lying in hospital, are accountedforasfollows:— Pedestrians 424 * Motor-cyclists 187. Piliion riders 49 Push-cyclists 387 Passengers 551 Motor drivers 281 Others 16 "Significance attaches to the cabled remarks of Professor Millais, of London," said Mr. Semple. "He states that motor-cars are mastering man and that human nature is failing to cope with the progress of the machme which it has created. It seems to me that if our accidents continup at their present rate New Zealand will be among the countries supplying proof of the professor 's assertion. The best advico which can be given those who wish to avoid death or injury on our highways is to read the lioad Code, and thcn make it a habit to observe the rulcs which are set out in it." Detailed figures show that traffis accidents reported during August totalled 359, compared wjth 333 for ,the previous month. An analysis of the August accidents Teveals that 15 fatal accidents were reported, as against. 20 for July. The fatal accidents involved six pedestrians, two motor drivers, fivo passengers, and two motor-cyclis'ts. The seriously injured numbered 50, compared with 71 for July. Among the seriously injured were 22 pedestrians, seven motordrivers, eight passengers, six pushcyclists, and five motor-cyclists. Minor injuries were sustained by 93 pedestrians, 47 motor-drivers, 85 passengers, 80 push-cyclists, 29 motor-cyclis'ts and 11 piliion riders. Causes of Accident e The deaths of 15 motor-drivers and their 25 passengers, and of 14 motorcyclists, and injuries to 1068 persons in those three groups and a fourth group (piliion riders j are accounted for in a statistical survey prepared by the Transport Department for the 24-weok period March 15 to August 31. Contributory causes, of which there may be more .than one for each accident, were: Reckl'ess or negligent driving (210), careless or inconsiderate driving (141), failure to keep to the left (171), failure to yield right of way to vehicle coming from the right (165), excessive speed (66), cutting corner (47), dazzling or inadequate headlights (78). "Not one of these accidents was unavoidable," was the terse commeht of the Minister. The statistics show the principal causes of accidents which involved 29 pedestrians in death and 424 in injury during the 24 weeas ended August 31. The principal contributory causes were: — Failure to yield right of way to motor- vehicles 87 Failure to keep to the footpalh . . 25 Failure to keep to the edge -of the roadway, that is, where no footpath available 14 '' Jay-walking" instead of crossing at right-angles 50 Intoxication 29 Walked into moving vehicle . . . . 123 Walked out from behind vehicle .. 33 Playing on road \ 14 An analysis of the contributory causes ofsaceidents to cyclists, of whom nine were killcd and 3S7 injured in the 24 weeks, reveals 56 cases of reckless or careless xiding, 40 cases of failure to keep to tne left of the roadway, 31 cases of failure to yield the right of way to vehicles coming from the right, 23 failures to signal intention to turn to the right, and 29 cases of inadequate lights or reax red reflectors.