SPEEDING MOTORISTS.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 128, 15 April 1926, Page 7

SPEEDING MOTORISTS.

■“ FLYING SAFETY SQUAD.” Punishing Offenders. |h The public, writes a Sydney corres* ’ pondent, have been reading with much •zest the stories in the press of the raids, not without their thrill and touch of drama, which are being made nightly by the Flying Safety Squad, and of the effective way in which the police, in a silent but very fast touring Car, known as “the Blue Bird, ” are popping up in all sorts of unexpected places and taming the road “ hogs’ ’ whose reckless driving has made them a menace, not only to the public, but to other motorists. The Flying Squad, it is safe to prophesy, presages the end of speeding in Sydney. These nightly raids by the l Blue Bird —the car is A painted blue, hence its name—are providing all the thrill of the hunt, all. the zest of the “ kill” at the end of the chase. Motorists, motor-cyclists and even those on push bicycles are all coming within the net —some for travelling at about 50 miles an hour; some for run-

ning without tail lights; and others for countless other breaches of the Traffic Act. Amusing stories are told of the raids In one of the nightly cruises, and after a chase of several hundred yards, one of two cars being pursued was headed into the footpath. The driver knew what was coming. “What was I doing?” he asked the police eagerly. “Fifty,” said the sergeant. “Fifty, are you sure?’’ exclaimed the driver. The sergeant "was quite positive about it. “Well,” said the motorist, “be a sport, sergeant, I'll take my punishment, but come down and tell them at the club. They think this car can't do 20.” The sergeant said he would not go to the club, but ho would explain the car’s capacity for speed at the Police Court. All sorts of excuses have been made by speeding motorists when stopped. Most offenders admit their fault and /take their medicine, though quite a few have expressed polite doubt .about the accuracy of the speedometer on the police car. The large number of motorists caught to date —the exact figure is 380 —indicates that the Safety Squad was established at the right time.