“SIMPLY APPALLING—DISREGARD BY MOTORISTS.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 217, 13 August 1937, Page 2

“SIMPLY APPALLING—DISREGARD BY MOTORISTS.”

(To The Editor.)

Sir, : —Reading your columns of yesterday I could not but question whether the scathing comments therein quoted, under the above headings, were entirely lair and with any personal experience at the wheel in this city. Visiting motorists here complain of the “appalling disregard” by cyclists and jay walking pedestrians. The pedestrians do not yet appear to have awakened to the fact that Palmerston North is a city, and that this is an age of rapid transport. The Palmerston North pedestrians stroll all over their magnificent wide city streets with the>r backs turned to on-coming traffic, noth a nerve and sangfroid that would bo really admirable if better applied. 11l consequence the motorist is so busy all the way up the street, casting his eyes right and left for pedestrians crossing at unauthorised points, in irregular fashions, and without looking in the proper direction, that be has so much the less opportunity to give the due attention to authorised crossings that same would otherwise receive. Only the motorist knows the number of pedestrian lives Ins unremitting care and watchfulness saves per annum, and the number of casualties there would be if the motorist did not keep a better look out than the pedestrian. I do no refer to children If to keep pace with the march of science, children must bq given responsible heads, then we will no longer have children. The motorist seeing a child on the footpath ahead is due to be prepared for that child running out on to the road unexpectedly'. But the same indulgence is not due to adults.

I write with the memory of, many years ago, being fined the limit in a J.P. Court on a double charge of breach of bye-laws, for getting out of an emergency by doing the only sensible' thing that avoided risk to a lot of pedestrians; and to my certain knowledge the Bench was unable to drive a motor-car.- —I am, etc., MOTORIST.