WARNING TO MOTORISTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2734, 17 May 1924, Page 3

WARNING TO MOTORISTS.

JUDGE STRINGER SAYS “ROPE” WAITING TOR “ROAD-HOGS.” The ethics of the road came under sharp judicial review in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Tuesday, before Mr Justice Stringer, in the ease in which a young taxidriver was being tried on a charge of manslaughter arising out of the death of a constable as the result of a collision alleged to have been due to negligent driving. Mi* W. S. Aliller, motor engineer, in his course of evidence, said that a chauffeur frequently drove within two or three inches of an object ahead of him. It was done on the road every day, and he thought it was quite justified, especially when the other object was another vehicle travelling in the same direction. “Do you, as a professional driver,” asked Air Justice Stringer, “say that that is a proper thing to do?” “A good driver,” answered the witness, “should be able to do it.” “Perhaps,” said His Honour, “he should be able to do it. What we ore asking is whether you consider it a reasonable thing to do.” “If both objects are going in the same direction,” persisted the witness, "it is quite a safe thing to do.” 4 "It is not a safe thing to do,” returned the Judge severely, “because we *e« that in this instance it has killed a man.” “But in this instance,” the witness pursued, “there was something protruding from the car that the driver did not see.” “You suggest,” said His Honour, “that he went so close to the catt that he did uot observe there was an outrigger on it? Do you think that is careful driving?” Witness: 1 agree that that was bad judgment. But it happens with every driver —happens every day. “in that case the sooner we hang a few drivers the better,” was His Honour’s final contribution to the dialogue.