SEQUELS TO COLLISIONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3778, 12 April 1928, Page 4

SEQUELS TO COLLISIONS.

POLICY ADOPTED BY POLICE. CRITICISM BY MAGISTRATE. Criticism of the practice of the Police Department in prosecuting all parties concerned in motor accidents was expressed by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Pukekohe Police Court recently, in dealing with charges of negligent driving against a motor lorry driver and a motor car driver, arising out of a collision between their vehicles on the Great South Road, south of Mercer.

Evidence was given that rounding a bend on a narrow portion of the road, the vehicles struck as they passed, each sustaining minor damage. The road was only about 13ft. Gin. wide at this bend and although each vehicle was on its proper side of the road, the bumper of the car caught the rear wheel of the lorry. In dismissing the charge against the first defendant, the magistrate said the Crown was not justified in bringing motor drivers before Court on a criminal charge of this nature when there was no definite evidence of negligent or dangerous driving. A mistake or an error of judgment on the part of one or other of the drivers should not necessarily form a cause for prosecution and he felt that often in cases where both drivers were charged the matter was really brought to Court as a hazard to find out who was to blame for the collision. This contravened the principles of British justice, continued the magistrate, as people should not be put to the expense of -having to defend themselves, and often in these cases having to come long distances to do so, when there was no real evidence against them. In the present case the collision had obviously occurred through an error of judgment on what was admittedly an awkward and dangerous length of road —in ,the magistrate’s opinion one of the most dangerous lengths of highway in the Dominion. Mr M .R. Grierson, who appeared for the said one had had to come from Te Kuiti, and the other from Hamilton to defend the case.

•Following the magistrate’s remarks, the poliet withdrew the charge against the second defendant.