MOTORISTS WHO DON'T CARE

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 15 October 1954, Page 4

MOTORISTS WHO DON'T CARE

AN 8000 mile tour from Invercargill to Northland, made recently by the operator of the Transport Department's microwave speed detector, has shown that one of the main traffic faults is failing to keep to the left, particularly on bends. At the recent Magistrate's Court sittings in Taupo one case concerned a driver who came round the bend between the dam and Tongariro Street two feet six inches over the white line. His explanation to the Traffic Officer was the honest one that he was talking to his children and had not been sufficiently observant. A Taupo resident coming down Earthquake Gully recently found1 a car coming round a sharp bend over two feet on the wrong side of the white line, and had to brake hard to avoid a collision. Another resident returning to Taupo recently reports that as he approached a roadside hQtel a small motor truck left it and proceeded ahead of him. After a short time • the truck commenced to "wander" on the road, now over the white line and now back to the extreme left. Later, the truck swerved three feet over the white line when an approaching vehicle was only a short distance away, then speeding up to over fifty miles per hour was lost to view. Shortly after the truck was found parked by the roadside, and the manner of one of the occupants left little doubt as to the reason for the vehicle's erratic career.

None of these occurrences are, unfortunately, likely to be regarded by motorists as being particularly unusual. They do, however, indicate that there are, too many motorists Who "couldn't care less." There is evidence that plain clothes patrols have had real effect on traffic carelessness, but there can be little doubt that a much higher general standard of care will have to be achieved, a standard that will be observed by more motorists whether there are traffic patrols about or not. New Zealanders are always averse to anything in the way of overofficiousness or "snooping," and it is likely that a suggestion, that motorists seeing such examples of traffic behaviour as have been mentioned, should report them whenever possible to the proper authority and be prepared to give evidence if called upon, would probably not be well received. But it seems that unless the efforts of traffic officers are backed up by some form of social pressmre the mounting death and injury rate on our roads is unlikely to be reduced. Thorough discussion by the Automobile Associations of the possibilities of some code of action being agreed upon by responsible motorists, to be followed in cases such as have been referred to, might perhaps lead to the adoption of some method of bringing the pressure of public opinion to bear upon motorists who don't care.