THE OFF-SIDE RULE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 378, 12 June 1928, Page 6

THE OFF-SIDE RULE

COUNTER-SUGGESTION MADE

The Canterbury Automobile Association has forwarded the following remit for consideration at the quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union:, "That for the better safety of motoring. the union approaches the Government regarding having the present regulation 11., section 13, altered, and in its place substituted “that all traffic entering a main road from a side street be compelled to stop before i entering same.' ’* The regulation referred to is that requiring the observance of the off--1 side rule. Under it, if two motorists | are approaching an intersection so that ' if both continued on their course there ! would be a possibility of collision, the | driver who has the other vehicle ap- ! proaching on his right must give wav ito it, and allow it to pass. This has i been advocated for years, and has been j in force for some time in Auckland i City. It is an excellent rule where i the intersecting roads are of about j equal importance, says the Wellington "Dominion,” but its critics have held that where a lane or by-road of minor importance intersects a heavily trafficked main road the rule is likely to be a trap, as it gives the by-road traffic priority over the main road traffic :n certain conditions. Another criticism of the rule has been that when more than two vehicles arrive simultaneously at an intersection from different directions an impasse results under it.

The upholders of the off-side rule contend that, despite its admitted imperfections, It is better than no rule at all. and should be given a trial until something better can be found.