THE SPEED FIEND.

Shannon News, 19 February 1924, Page 4

THE SPEED FIEND.

The Nelson ‘Pofiep Magistrate who fined t a #>? jpxcpp &Bg ttespeed lini[it;' jwlien passing over. ,a crossing the ( other day, jyas, unquestionably right in saying that speeding .will never be suppressed until motorists are licensect and po\ycr. is gifeen to, cancel. licenses. ,It ,js not., tpo ,-.nooueh ;> to.. say that the majority of motor ; accidents are, either, directly or indirectly, due to the excessive .spiaed, at which., some rnotoiists travel, and Avhich leads them to i take needless risks. There is something I about motoring .that gets into the blood ) and.impels the .motorist', especially J whvsn he is travelling upon a good road, • to put on more, and yet .more speed; and there is a sort of fearful joy m accepting risks under such . circumstances, Avhich has a fascination peculiarly its own. Motor accidents at railAvay crossings would never occur if motorists took the ordinary precautions suggested by the notice boards and sign ppsts erected in the vicinity of such crossings. Dangerous many of them undoubtedly are, but one cannot come within 100 yards of them, Avithout seeing the warning posts indicating the crossing lying bevcr.d. The train cannot moAle oft’ tie track; the motorist can, and, in thy interest of own safety, to say nothing of that of others, he should see to it that all necessary precautions are taken against acc-d----ent on such crossings. The speed fiend who rushes through tb,y country at the rate of eight miles in nine minute -, as the Nelson motor 1.1 did, who avus let off so easily last Aveek, constitutes a very real danger to the public, and the Courts should h:fvl3 power to cancel any license he may hold as a motorist, Avhen ho breaks the larv and endangers tlie lives of other people in : doing so. The Motor 1 Vehicle Bill, Avhich Avas before Parliament in lh_x, proposed to'introduce a neAv system of licensing and registration, and jirovided heavy penalties against those Avho exceeded the speed limit. Opinion Avas so much divided upon the subject that the Bill Avas dropped. It seems high time that increased powers Avere conferred upon magistrates’ to deal Avith tlie speed 'maniacs who appear to be indifferent to their own safety and to take no thought for the safety of others. Parliament ought to, and should, move in the. matter.—Standard.