NO MOTOR MASCOTS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 325, 5 January 1937, Page 4

NO MOTOR MASCOTS.

PROHIBITED TO-DAY. Effect Of Strict Regulations Not Seen Locally. Garage proprietors In Stratford are at present more or less in the dark as to what will be the effect of the new traffic regulations, but all are expecting an unprecedented rush of repair work when the enforcement of the regulation requiring every car to be tested each six months is brought about. No action has been taken with re>gard to the new prohibition on projecting mascots, and a survey of cars parked in Broadway this morning showed numbers of radiator ornaments which must certainly come within the scope of the regulation. Some of these, flying women, whippets and stork-like birds with long bills reached as much as nine or ten inches beyond the line of the radiator. Mascots Prohibited. Included in the traffic regulations, 1936, which came into force on December 21, is a clause which states: “No person shall operate a motor vehicle having affixed thereto any ornamental fitting in a position where it is likely to strike any person with whom the vehicle may collide unless the ornament, decoration or fitting is such that it is not liable to cause injury by reason of any projection thereon.” As there is as yet no definite definition of what constitutes a dangerous mascot motor-men arei wondering whether any alteration of stock models will be required. Many of the individual radiator caps are obviously contrary to the new regulations but in the case of new American cars, most of which are fitted with ornamental radiator caps there is considerable room, for disagreement. None of them are as extreme as most of the specially fitted mascots, but some are definitely projecting.

The problem of loss being incurred through stocks of mascots being rendered useless is not a serious one at Stratford. Apparently most of the sale of these articles is in the hands of the garages, who carry no large slocks, but order them only as required by clients.