RIGHT OF WAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4474, 5 July 1930, Page 4

RIGHT OF WAY.

THE OFFSIDE RULE,

•SHOULD IT BE REVERSED?

In view of the announcement made by the Minister of Transport regarding a reconsideration of certain of the provisions of the Motor Regulations, a suggestion which was recently made by Dr. A. R. Andrew to the executive of the Taranaki Automobile Association and the North Island Motor Union for the reversing' of the present “offside rule” may have an added interest.

Dr. Andrew pointed out that (here was a clash between driving practices in New Zealand and those of Europe. In Europe, the rule of the right holds sway; meeting anything on the straight, one went to the right of it; meeting anything at an intersection, one gave way to the vehicle on the right. In short, there was only one thing in the driver’s mind, to pass always to the right, with the exception of ovgr taking, which was, as a rule, a deliberate act for which there was generally plenty of time.

New Zealand, however, had saddled itself wit'll a hybrid, a lefthand rule for ordinary meetings, and a right-hand rule for intersections. Consequently, when a driver saw another vehicle near an intersection he had to decide on one of two plans; either the car was far enough away, to be ignored, or was near enough* to bring in the application of the “off-side,” intersection, rule. In most eases the decision was obvious, but there were many doubtful cases where an error of judgment would lead to trouble.

The regulation, said in effect: “A driver must do one of two things, and must decide which one to do.” A good regulation would say: “A driver must do one thing only, go to the. left of everything he sees (except when overtaking).” •In America and Europe, where the rule of the road was the opposite to the New Zealand rule, the right-hand rule for intersections worked admirably, and if that was so, lie continued, did it not seem reasonable that in New Zealand with a keep-to-the-left rule, the left-hand intersection rule should apply? If au improvement of the intersection rule was desirable, he argued, the change should be made at- once, before the motorist found it too difficult, through habit, to adapt hiuself to new conditions. The recent Royal Commission’s report, on transport in Great Britain devoted some space to the question of intersection practices. The off-side rule, in the opinion of the (Commission, had very marked weaknesses in practice. It had been claimed that this rule, which was adopted by analogy from the rule of• the sea, was safe and effective,, |bnt the Commission could not recommend it. The analogy from the rule of the road at sea was entirly fallacious. On the road a vehicle approaching 'from a cross, or junction, road, on the right was frequently not -visible until the crossing place or junction was actually reached, with the result that if the vehicle continued, expecting the vehicle on its left to give way, a collision was almost inevitable; in addition there was very little room in the road to manoeuvre. Also it had been pointed out that if at a junction of four cross r-oads a vehicle was, approaching - from each of the four directions, as frequently happened in towns, all four would ha ve to stop dead, since each would have a vehicle approaching on its right. The probability would be that after momentary delay all four would start again and meet in the middle.

alternative proposal, which was supported by the Royal Automobile Club, and which has . the support of a conference specially summoned by the Ministry of Transport, is that all the roads of the country should be graded in accordance with their degree of importance and that traffic on the ■less important road should g-iwe way to traffic on the more important. The drivers on the more important roads would not be absolved from all responsibility; it would be their duty to keep a sharp look-out and to drive with special caution at all road junctions, the existence of which should bo communicated to them by means of suitable road, signs placed short of the actual junction. They should, however, have preference over drivers entering from less important roads. On all the latter, whether hi (owns or country, conspicuous notice boards should be erected with the words ‘Dead Slow.’ If an accident occurs the responsibility for such accident will prima facie, and in the absence of circumstances inculpating the driver on the major road, rest upon the driver entering it. The Commission recommended that the work of grading of roads should be commenced without delay.

Though the grading of thoroughfares and streets as recommended by the British Commission would no doubt offer the safest solution, it. is doubtful whether Mew Zealand could yet adopt it, for the grading and notice-boarding of all thorough Ingres would be a very expensive business.