DANGER OF EXCESSIVE SPEED.

Shannon News, 17 July 1928, Page 2

DANGER OF EXCESSIVE SPEED.

COUNTY COUNCIL INQUIRING INTO TRAFFIC REGULATION.

Some strictures on speeding motorists were passed at the meeting of the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday, and the Works Committee was asked to furnish a report on the question of traffic control in the County. The subject was introduced by a letter from Mr N. C. Blackburn, secretary of, the Te Horo branch of the Farmer’s Union, who,wrote drawing attention to the need for traffic warnings to avert danger of accident in the Te Horo township. He stated that there seemed to-be no restriction on motorists speeding through the township, and the branch would be glad if the Council would take appropriate action. The Chairman (Mr Monk) said that the Council realised that there was a real danger attached to speeding by motorists. At the District Highways Council meeting last Tuesday, a complaint was received about wandeiing stock, but this was not the actual danger on the i road to-day the. danger was the speed at which motorists went careering along the highway. Ihe maximum speed allowed by the Motoring Regulations was 35 miles an hour. Personally he endeavoured to keep within it; but he found that his speed on the road was sometimes very little more than half that at . which many motorists were travelling; so they inust be doing 50 or 60 miles an hour. Entering a township like Te Horo they apparently did not slow down at all; many of them must have passed through it at more than 40 miles an hour. The-road there was close to the railway station, post office and. stores. Cr. McLeavey remarked that it. - was not only Te Horo that was affected. The Chairman went on to say that, unless the Council appointed a traffic inspector, he cud not know how they were going to deal with the matter. This was, perhaps, a subject that might eo before the Works Committee, to be thoroughly discussed. The Engineer mio'ht go into it and make some recommendation. The Council would have to face the question, and it would have to tackle the question of heavy traffic at the same time. The time had arrived when they must do something. He was not prepared to make any definite recommendation at the moment.; i should be the work of the Committee. He moved that the question of the control of traffic in the county be referred to the Works Committee, for a recommendation; and that the Te Horo branch of the Farmers’ Union be advised that this course is, being taken. Cr McLeavey seconded the motion. Cr. Jensen: Would it not be necessary to warn the people to slow down by putting up notices? 'Cr. McLeavey: They take no notice of them. They never see them. The Chairman: I am prepared to move that we put up a notice. The Engineer pointed out that I c Horo was not classified as a borough or town district, and he thought that the Council must make application to the Minister of Public Works. Cr. Jensen asked who was the controlling body. Motorists, he said, would do as they liked if there was no controlling body. He would like the Engineer to go thoroughly into the matter, but that would mean delay.. The Chairman stated that the Council were the controlling body under the Regulations; they must control the traffic and keep within those regulations. The Clerk and the Engineer were more competent to interpret the regulations than he was. . „ , ~ Cr. Jensen: It would be deplorable if anything should happen and these people were not informed that we are moving in the matter,’ The Chairman stated that no speed limit could be fixed by a controlling authority otherwise than as provided by the Regulations. The Engineer stated that the Council were not empowered to put up notices at present. If they wished to limit the speed, they must make application to the Minister of Public Works.

Cr. Kilsby: If we are going to make application for one place like Te Horo, we shall have to do it for all the little places in the county, whether there is a re-constructed piece of road there or not.

The Chairman’s motion was carried, and Te Horo is to be notified accordingly. ■ 1