EXCESSIVE SPEED

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1932, Page 6

EXCESSIVE SPEED

AND NEGIGKNT DRIVING

PROVISIONS OR ENGLISH DILI

United Press Association —EJeetri

Telegraph —Copyright.) *

LONDON, April 26

In the -House of Lords, Lord Buckmaster moved the second reading of a Bill providing that any motor drivers killing anyone, shall be guilty of nianflaughter. Re said that 'the punishment could be varied in accordance with the degree of negligence. It any human injury was caused through negligence, the driver would he guilty of unlawful wounding. „ The BUI provides for a minimum penalty of six months’ imprisonment for failure to stop after causing injury, xnd fixes five miles hourly as the speed limit for goods vehicles, weighing over five tons. He had driven a car through, out Britain for 20 years without once endangering a living thing, vet now. roads were turned into racing tracks. There had been a recent ease of a motorist .who had killed three people, and only being fined £ls. The Lord Chancellor said that there was no need to amend khe law, but to enforce it. He suggested that a speed limit would reduce the whole traffic of London to five miles hourly.

Lord Cecil said that children and elderly people were being slaughtered m large numbers yearly, and iiudnrisfs were escaping punishment.

Lord Howe said that, though he was a racing motorist, he sympathised with Lord Buekimnstcr. A Magistrate ought to have power of perpetual arrestment of certain cars as possessed on the Continent.

The Bill was read a second time with out. division.