JAY-WALKING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 76, 21 June 1927, Page 10

JAY-WALKING

A WARNING ‘‘Headlight” takes an early opportunity of warning the public of Auckland that the practice of jay-walking is a dangerous habit. The warning is given not only on behalf of Auckland’s motorists, but for the benefit of pedestrians as well. Every year some thousands of people throughout the world are killed simply because they forget to look both ways before crossing the street, and with the huge increase in our own traffic, and the complications of our traffic problems, the dangers are brought closer home. Then, too, motorists . are unnecessarily hampered by the careless indifference to death that so many people seem to exhibit. This throws a tremendous burden on the motorist, who, at the inquest of a man who calmly walked under his front wheels, is probably charged with man - slaughter. “Headlight” suggests a huge publicity campaign to have the slogan of “Look both ways before crossing the

road,” as well known as “An apple a day” or “Buy New Zealand-made Goods.” The trouble seems to be that the Walking public has never learned to adapt itself to the greater speed of li&ad traffic, and a large section is absurdly concerned over the preservation of what it is pleased to call right of priority. No such thing exists. The most dominant of all laws is that of common sense, which may loosely be interpreted as the law of expediencj'. It is expedient that the public should realise that one of the greatest dangers of modern traffic conditions is an obstinate refusal to recognise the demands of altered conditions. There is not much consolation in standing up for assumed rights if you are knocked down in the .process. NEW YORK'S LEAD In New York, where, I believe, traffic problems are more acute than in London, jay walking is not only condemned but is punishable. There is also an interesting scheme to avoid congestion by the enforcement of minimum speeds on certain thoroughfares for “through” traffic. The latest enterprise is to the credit of the New York police, and might be followed here. The mounted policeman is to disappear from the New York streets. In the 'Til ole village” the horses have been retired, and mounted police are to employ motor-cycles in their stead. The stated reason is that a motor-cyclist policeman can nip in and out of the traffic, squeeze through traffic jams, and do good work in an emergency. This recognition of the motor-cycle as the most tractable and speediest of all road vehicles in dense traffic is interesting, and I have no doubt that the motoring millions of the United States will benefit from such up-to-date administration. Something similar seems to be necessary here. Anyway Jay-walking must give way to the habit of “Looking both ways before crossing the street.”