Universal Motor Regulations

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 19 November 1927, Page 3

Universal Motor Regulations

Proposed by Public Works Department Constructive Criticism Sought (By “SPARKS.”) The growing and now almost universal use of motor transport for pleasure and business has produced a set of conditions to cope with which the independent reputations of each borough and county were not framed and are inadequate and confusing. The motor car which is in Auckland to day may easily be in Wellington to-morrow, having passed through, en route, a hundred or more boroughs and districts having varying regulations controlling his conduct. It is the realisation of this difficulty that has influenced the Public Works Department to frame a set of regulations which shall have’universal application throughout the Dominion.

rpHAT the measure is needed, no 1 experienced motorist will deny, and the Department have further shown their good sense by submitting their draft proposals to the various local bodies and interested motorists’ organisations throughout the country for their constructive criticism and additional suggestionsThe regulations are extremely comprehensive ; in fact to the ordinarily careful motorist they may seem needlessly so, but with an evergrowing population of young motorists it is no doubt well to have rules minutely detailed for their guidance and control. Generally, the draft regulations seek to establish standard rules with regard to speed, lighting, traffic signals, braking device efficiency, noise, rules of the road, etc., and nothing but good can result from the cancelling of the present varying and often contradictory district regulations and their substitution by a uniform and reasonable set of rules.

The Public Works Department invite discussion of their suggested rules, and there is no doubt that this will be forthcoming in abundance. On the whole, it appears to the writer that the majority are reasonable and warranted, but there are some which might safely be modified. The provision that any inspector of traffic, police officer, etc., may inspect brakes and if he considers them unsatisfactory, refuse the vehicle the use of the road, appears to be entirely unnecessary, and an irritating waste of time and money. The whole trend of modern motor construction has been towards giving the driver complete control of his vehicle, and to this end brakes have received more attention than any other part of the car. Knowing the dangers of lack of control, there are few, if any, motorists who would willingly take the road with faulty brakes. With regard to lights, any regulation which wilb control the focussing and brilliance of headlights will be an advantage, as would also a rule regarding dimming or otherwise. The brilliant headlight is without doubt the greatest danger to both motorists and pedestrians with which we are faced on our roads to-day. It is pleasing to note that the Department suggest that warning devices—otherwise motor horns—shall be “deep-toned.” This may somewhat mitigate the present nuisance caused by the blare of discordant and irrelevent motor noises, but the number of instances in which it is suggested that the motorist use his horn appears to be far too many. The horn should only be used as a warning when real danger exists. If it is to be made compulsory for every motorist to blow the horn when approaching every intersection, when

overtaking another vehicle, twice when he intends turning to the left, and on all occasions for “reasonable traffic needs,” we shall be subjected to such a babel of sounds, as may well drive us mad. The insistence on efficient silencers on both cars and motor cycles is a move in the right direction which will be appreciated by the whole community. The legalising of pillion riding will be appreciated by motor cyclists, but the clause which compels the pillion rider to sit astride will no doubt be hotly contestd by those who like to take their best girls out for a thrilling annd not very dangerous spin. The regulation restricting the maximum speed of all cars on open country roads to 35 miles is probably the one that will be most hotly contested by motorists. In certain circumstances, and according to the make of the car, a much higher speed is perfectly safe. On open roads, where traffic is light and the highway suited to faster speeds, a limit of 35 miles per hour is a mistake. It is recognised practically the world over that the speed at which the danger point is reached in motor traffic depends entirely on the nature of the highway and the traffic conditions thereon.