THE MOTOR-CAR

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1926, Page 1

THE MOTOR-CAR

MO DER X JUGG ER XAUT. ” AUCKLAND, April 13. The motor is 1 1 1 e modern juggernau ; t n.s is being proved every day in evei liirt of New Zealand, but the daii toll is not so impressive. It is whe G an aggregate over a given period considered that the gravity of ih t position i-.s realised * Thus, motor vehicles accidents ar s accounting for a death nearly evei l ’ week in Auckland Since the beginning of Ihe year there have been iliirteei fatalities within Auckland and il near .subrubs. Six of the victims tver the occupants of motor ears, which col lided with other vehicle sor posts. 'l'wt : were motor cyclists who were tlirowi in collisions. There were five pedestrians. In audition, a score of pedestrian' Rive Keen injured through being knocked down, while at least two dozen passengers in mol or vehicles have been injured in collisions, excluding suffer ers from shock and trivial abrasions. Statistics reveal that more than fifty persons have been either killed or injured in Auckland in motor accidents during the last three months. This is a condition '.\hich both motorists and pedestrians must regard with increasing trepidation. In spite of the speed limits and multifarious prohibitions, the motor cars remain a source of (linger. While there is no doubt that the modern methods of traffic control reduce the collision hazard, they cannot eliminate many of the accidents in which life and limb are forfeit. Idrnl traffic regulation might prevent scores of trivial impacts which occur in the city streets, but in none of the thirteen latalities to date lias i he factor of iinwieidly traffic been instrumental in precipitating the accident. The fact that only one or two of (lie fatalities occurred in busy thoroughfares suggests that the higher speeds maintained on clearer roads may be to some extent the cause of accidents. Accidents have taken greater toll of the motorists themselves than of pedestrians. When a pedestrian is the victim there is always the. tendency to lay the blame on the motorists before the -facts ore known. The sympathy element is not without force. It is interesting to observe that four of the pedestrians who were victims were women, fu two cases the occupants of motor cars wore seriously injured as the result of collisions with tram ears. There were three cars wrecked through colliding with permanent poles in the street, and death ensued in each case. Til fact, it is noticeable that a majority of the motor accidents in which personal injury results are duo to vehicles striking stationary objects such as train poles, safety zones or fences. Sometimes this is due to the driver’s failure to observe objects, and in other cases tlio collision results from a skid following on excessive speed on curves or too sudden an application of the brakes. Collisions between two cars are a frequent cause of wreckage, hut as far as Auckland is concerned ii seems that serious injury or death is rarely the sequel to ibis i’vpo of ne ideal. Three times during the last quarter motor omnibuses have been involved in collisions with other vehicles. On two or three occasions they have struck safety zones, and in several instances passenger buses have collided willi poh". In no case were there “crime; conseq lienees. although half a dozen passengers were* sliglitlv injured in a bus which overturned at Point Chevalier. Tf tin' motor cycle is a dangerous mount it npparcnilv does not imperil anybody bui il-s rider. Tn spile of thousands of motor cycles in use in Auckland, il is seldom that a pedestrian is injured.