AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 72, 17 December 1937, Page 19 (Supplement)

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

Advantage of Membership to Motorists The coming of summer and the ever-insistent call of the open road will soon be responsible for the feverish bustle of final preparation and last-minute arrangements in the homes of hundreds of Hawke's Bay motorists. With car registrations reaching peak figures, there is every indication that the Christmas and New Year holidays, now so imminent, will see more motorists than ever before heading along the highways and byways in search of happiness.

Playing a major part in all thi§ activity is the Automobile Association. For weeks past, the touring depcrtment of the A.A. (Hawke's Bay) has bea deluged with inquiries for road reports, information regarding holiday reaorts and points of interest and, abovc all, requests for loose-Ieaf map routc itineraries. The itinerary service provided by the A.A. is unique. The inforaa-

tion, travelling directions and xoute maps contained in these leaflets are specially compiled by A.A. experts who regularly traverse every route for tEe purpose of checking and revising, so that the details are always complete and accurate. The itineraries are compiled to suit the individual require ments of the member requesting tflem, who has merely to tell the A.A. where

he wishes to go and the towns nu wishes to visit en route. Within the space of a few minutes hi«s itinerary, bound in r compact booklet. is handed to him — a complete guids for his trip,

replete with interesting informativa about the places he passes througli, instructions where to turn left or right or keep ahead, and warnings of danger points and parts of the road where special caution advised. Armed with this information, there is little possi.bility of the motorist gomg astray or missing some scenic 01* historic spot which he should see on his journey. Then again, when he is on the road, the tourist, whether or not he is an A.A. member, has for his guidance the A.A. sign-posting system. Everywhere | he may go he is directed, warned and adj vised of hidden dangers by the familiar yellow-and-black signposts, whose efficiency has won the unstinted praise of overseas visitors as well a^that of New Zealand motorists, : For its members, the A.A. provides another service which is unique and which has been the means of saving A.A. members in this country many hundreds of pounds. To assist members in the event of a breakdown while on 1 the road, a chain of garages has been linked up throughout the Dominion, with the object of ensuring that the unfortuuate motorist is not left stranded far from home. A message to the nearest A.A. garage will speedily bring a 1 mechanic to his aid and, up to a distance of 12 miles from the garage, this service costs the member absoJutely uothing, towage up to this distance, and labour at ordinary rr.tcs being paid for by the A.A. With the knowledge \ of this valuable protection, the motorj ist can go his way with every confidence knowing that. provided lie observes tfie simple conditions laid down, this is his to cumumnjl. _ This unique service, it j

is interestng to note, wa's ffrst introduced in New Zealand by the Automobile Association (Hawke's Bay) and is now universalk throughout the length and breadth of the land. A.A. membership also brings other monetary benefits to the touring motor-; ist, for many of the hotels of the Dominion grant liberal concessioms to members of the A.A. which reduce considerably the cost of a holiday. ln mos(- motor camps, too, reductions are obtainable by A.A. members^ while a few camps ars maintained for their exclusive use. WTith all these benefits (which, incidentally, apply in every part of the Domimon), 't is easy to see the truth of the saying: "A.A. membership is a motoring neeessity. " Everywhere he goes. from the farthest north to the aeepest sonth, the A.A. member will always find a friend to whom he may turn for information and advice. The cnormous increase in the number of A.A. members over the past few years brings home very forcibly the fact that more and more motorists are realising that, but for the efforts of the A.A., motoring would De a much more expenslve pastime than it is to-day. Over 60,000 New Zealand motorists are A.A. members and this total is increasing daily. This is the best evidence possible of the valuc of A.A. membership.