ROAD ACCIDENTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 350, 11 October 1932, Page 2

ROAD ACCIDENTS

INCREASE IN ENGLAND CAUSES EXHAUSTIVE ENQUjlRY. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Automobile Association in London on July 27, the chairman of the eommittee, Mr. Charles McWhirter, made some reference to the accident question, the increase in accidents being a matter that is causing grave concern in England, and is being made the subject of exhaustive inquiry by a Commission representative of every interest concerned. Mr. McWhirter said that the association was deeply concerned with the problem of road accidents. He used the word "road" accidents as distinct from that misleading expression "motor" accidents, because, unfortunately, every accident involving a motor car was referred to as a "motor" accident, and the psychological effect on this on the general public was that the motor car was considered the prime cause. That the motorist might be blameless entirely was frequently overlooked; the discredit rested with him none the less. The Automobile Association was fully alive to the seriousness of the question, and yielded to no one in its efforts to bring about an improvement. No special right was claimed for the motorist, neither was it admitted for any other class of road user. Many of the criticisms levelled at motorists were a travesty of the real faets, facts which proved nothing at all. Th'e problem called for the examination of the causation and prevention of accidents, and not repressive laws nor panic legislation. The co-operation of every road user was essential. So far, the criteisms levelled at motorists had been destructive, but the Automobile Association, which was a member of the International Touring Allianee, had established an international bureau to collect and analyse data concerning accidents in which motor vehicles were involvjed. By this means the accident figures and the respective conditions prevailing in various countries would be carefully studied and comparad, having regard to the traffic, weather, speeds, nature of road surfaces, character, weight, and construction of vehicles, etc.