DOUBLE-BANKING ON BICYCLES

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3927, 6 April 1929, Page 3

DOUBLE-BANKING ON BICYCLES

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. The /practice of doulble-ban'king on 'bicycles was commented upon by Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., at the conclusion of an inquest on Jean Lundon, a married woman, aged (52, at Wellington on Wednesday. The Coroner held the view that doublebanking lessened the control of a cycle, and was a dangerous practice. Mrs. iLundon was knocked down on the evening of 24th. March on the Island Bay parade by a bicycle ridden iby Bernard Joseph Watson, aged 15, who had with him on the bar of the machine another boy, Joseph Young, aged 14. The evidence showed that the bicycle, lighted by an oil lamp, was proceeding along the parade at a moderate speed in a southerly direction. Mrs. Lundon was iiot-notieed until the bicycle was almost on her. Watson swerved to the right, but as /he did so the deceased steippcd backwards and was struck by the bicycle, falling heavily on the bitumen. The iCbroner returned a verdict that the deceased died from head injuries received through being knocked down by a bicycle. “It seems to be worth while to point out against a danger that is prohibited in some towns, that of double-banking iby boys on bicycles in public streets,” said Mr. Barton. On the evidence in the present ease he was not prepared to say whether the presence of a second boy on the bicycle contributed to the accident. However, he thought double-banking must lessen the control of a bicycle, and must interfere with the view of the boy on the saddle. Double-banking was a dangerous practice. Mr. P. J. O’Regan, who appeared on behalf of the relatives of the deceased, said lie agreed with the Coroner’s views, and suggested that Mr. Barton should draiw the attention of the municipal authorities to the matter of double-banking. The Coroner: “With the present state of traffic in the cities anything that tends to lessen control of vehicles becomes an added danger.”