The Hutt News THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1930. MOTORING ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 1, 29 May 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1930. MOTORING ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

A critical study of the details •of motoring accidents, recently published by our Wellington evening contemporary '' gives one furiously to think!" Even the most r-casual reader of the daily newspaper cannot but have been aware that the number of this class of fatality is becoming a serious factor in our national life—or death.' The summarisation of the causes of these accidents set out in the article referred to, suggests a most intresting line of thought. The figures show, as would be expected from the fact ijthat generally speaking urban traffic is under more control by inspectors, that more fatal accidents occur outside urban districts. They also show; that despite the large number of services ears constantly on the roads, comparatively few fatalities occur with this ' class of vehicle. The general conclusion to he drawn is that most fatal accidents are due to reckless or Inexperienced driving. Most motorists will from their own experience cordially endorse this verdict. 'Hardly one with whom we have discussed the matter is not able to relate some incident coming within their recent observation in which serious accident owing to -careless driving was narrowly -averted. If traffic control regulations are to be effective in preventing motor accidents, or at least effective in checking the number and severity of such accidents, it is apparent tKat measures must be taken to punish the class of persons who is in the habit of .driving* liis car like a modern car of Juggernaut with no regard to the .safety or convenience'of other road users, or for that matter ! •eyen of his own safety. It would J therefore be expected that the prosecutions for breaches of traffic regulations would bear some approximate relationship to the -causes of accident as disclosed by -experience, and we have given this phase of the matter some little -consideration. We find on enquiry that an overwhelming majority of the prosecutions taken rebate to jiiatters such as failure to comply with parking rules and similar which, while necessary .-and proper, are concerned more I with the convenience than the ./safety of traffic. A few vprosocu r ;tions are taken-for'.speeding, usually as the result of speed, traps -set in areas of local speed restricrtion and of ten—almost "generally —without respect to the..'.traffic, -conditions at the time of the of r , fence." Except as the aftermath -of some, accident it is almost-un-known for prosecutions "to be tak-. •-en for.the class of dangerous driving Which is shown by the statistics referred to to be, responsible • -fc'oi* most of the mptpr fatalities. JEt is obvious that our methods of • traffic control are in urgent need -of overhaul and that in. fixture much more attention must be paid -rto the extra-urban traffic, and the rrelentless prosecution of offenders against the primary rules of-road ..safety. . Sources of accident well known to every motorist such as ■Knitting in, passing a car on a bend, negotiating a bend on the wrong :side of the road, holding the crown -of the road when meeting on-com-ing traffic, and other similar dan,'gerous practices should be made -specific offences, and the regulations enforced by a mobile traffic inspection unit on the lines of the Hutt Road Patrol. Particular*at-, tention should be paid to the week en;cl traffic and the main road tra<j at busy periods. The question of penalties for dangerous driving is also one in need of immediate investigation. The customary iines of 10/- or £1 and costs, which. we see rattled off by the score on a, busy morning in the, Magistrate's Court, are perhaps quite a ■sufficient penalty for the offences to which,-up to the present, they mostly relate, but if dangerous driving is to be put down much more servere penalties must be inflicted. It -will not be sufficient

to confine the penalty to an increase pf the fine as this can be met with equanimity by the well-to-do, but provision must be made for progressive penalties by endorsement, suspension, and total cancellation of the offenders' license. . <-