SAFETY FIRST

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 233, 25 May 1932, Page 7

SAFETY FIRST

A.A.A. OFFICER ADDRESSES ROTORUA PRIMARY SCHOLARS. In furtherance of the Auckland Automobile Association's safety first campaign among school children, the Association's patrol officer (Mr. S. Ringer) who is at present in Rotorua, yesterday visited the Rotorua primary school and briefly placed before the children some of the guiding principles for proper conduct on the roads and for preserving their own safety. Mr. Ringer pointed out to the children that just as motorists were governed by a strict series of regulations in regard to road traffic, there was an equal responsibility devolving upon pedestrians to observe definite rules which would not only assist motorists, but.minimise the possibility of accidents. ( In this connection, Mr. Ringer men- ' tioned the appalling toll of human life taken every year, largely through the failure of either motorists or pedestrians to observe ordinary common sense safety rules, In England, last year, for instance, no fewer than 7305 persons were killed and 178,000 in- [ jured through motor accidents, while

in New Zealand it was only neeessa.ry to read the papers each day to realise the price which the public was paying through failing to observe the ordinary rules of the road. Only this week, there had been a tragic example of the results of lack of care on the part of a child when a small boy had been killed at Putaruru through running across the road in front of an oncoming car. Safety Rules. The officer then briefly outlined the following set of six simple rules which should be observed by school children when using the roads:— 1. Always be careful, no matter how deserted the road may appear. 2. Never cross a road without stopping to look in both dlrections, 3. Never play games on the road.

4. Always walk on the footpath, and when there is no footpath, always wallc on the right side of the road. This is the opposite of the motorists' rule but plaees the pedestrian in a position where he is able to perceive orncoming traffic, while traffic approaching from the rear passes him on the left hand side. 5. Never run across the road at a blind corner. 6. Always walk at the rear of a stationary vehicle and look both ways before crossing, Observance of these simple rules, Mr. Ringer pointed out, would considerably reduce the risk of injury and even death Cars were so numerous on roads to-day that no child could alford to take unnecessary risks. Ilt was the duty of the older children to look after the younger kiddies going to and from school, and at any other times when they were on the roads. Children who rode bicycles should also he particularly careful and observe safety rules. The bottom portion of rear mudguards should always be painted white as this provided u good safeguard at night. The mgjority of rear reflectors were very hqrd* to pick up, and the white stood out as a very efficient warning to motorists.