CORONER ON SPEEDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1022, 12 July 1930, Page 1

CORONER ON SPEEDS

BRAKING AND VISION MUST GUIDE SAFETY OF CHILDREN “When travelling in the vicinity of parked cars or children, the speed of motorists should be justified by the braking power of their cars and their line of vision.” These comments were made at Otahuhu today by the coroner, Mr. F. If. Levien, S.M.. in returning a verdict of death from injuries received through accidentally colliding with a motor-car, at the inquest on the death of a seven-year-old child, Lawrence James Allen The little boy died from injuries he received through being knocked down by a motor-car driven by Mrs. A. E. Beagley, on the Great South Road, Otahuhu. on Monday afternoon.

After hearing the evidence the coroner said he wished to point out that the driver of the. car did nut notice any children in the vicinity at the time ot the accident, although several were proceeding home from school. One thing in the world that was necessary, said the coroner, was that the driver of a car should act. with jiromptitude in the presence of children. “There is only one standard of driving a car when children are in the vicinity,” continued Mr. Levien, “especially when cars are parked along the sides of the road day and night. , This is a peculiar feature of some towns, such as Otahuhu, where all the business premises are situated on the main highway. Consequently if anyone comes from between the parked cars -there is a danger of their being knocked down.”