THE RULE OF THE ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 24 July 1914, Page 6

THE RULE OF THE ROAD.

Kit; [ITS OF MAI I, OOAOHKS. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday W. A. Jury, proprietor—and' on this tccasion driver—of the imp] coach between New Plymouth and Opunakc, was charged on the information of the County inspector, witii fai.ing on July 14th to leave sufficient room for a niolor-car to 'ass him on the Main Si.nth road. Mr. It. 11. Quilliam appeared for the Council, and Mr. A. It. Standish for defendant, who pleaded not guiltv. Mr. Quiliam stated that the'ounty council had 'lrad numerous complaints to the effect that tile drivers of the mail coaches refused to "ive sufficient room to traffic, and at times this was a menace to the safety of the public. William John .ISow.ing, traveller, and Mipi-rvisor for the liidd Milking Ma chine Company, deposed that he win driving a motor-car along the Main South road when he saw tile coach some chains ahead.. Witness was proceeding .slowly down (he hil,, and sounding his syren the whole, time. When within a diiain and a half of the coach, the driver looked round, and the coach appeared to nine oil' (he road. Thinking I hat the driver was going to allow him to pass, witness increased his speed so us to get up the hill, and on getting .up to the coach found that lie ihud no room to pass, and it was onlv by skilful driving that he avoided a serious accident. The syren could be heard 3(K) yards away. To Mr. Standish: There was plenty of room at the spot, hut it was a dangerous place to him when 'he was -almost pushed off the road, ife was confident that the driver looked round. Mr. Kidd, the managing director of the liidd Milking .Machine Company, who was also in the ear, gave corroborative evidence. The locality where they attempted to pas's the coach was on the New Plymouth side of the Timaru cmiir.eiy. There was plenty o/ room at the point for vehicles to have passed had the coach given way. To Mr. Standish: The weatli'er was showery anil windy. To Mr. giiilliain:"TJiey were uot rushing to get to any appointment, , To His Worship: The coach was in the centre of th c road when the driver attempted to pass, but it turned off about a foot to the left. The car skidded to the right in pas'-dng. The coach could have given them another eight or •ten feet without danger. To Mr. Standish: He could not say whether the driver attempted to puil the horses oil' the road after the car had pas.-od the coach itself. Mr. Siandi-h said that tilic defenw; was that the driver had no knowledge that the ear was coming along. The driver's first sight of the car was when it had pas-ed the coach and was attempting to pass tire horses. He then pulled oil' so as to give the ear a chaii'-e to get hack on to the metal.

W. A. Jury, defendant, gave evidence as outlined by his counsel. The car, he added, did not .stop. He did not look round, nor did he bear the wyren. There was a shower just at tile time. Thci'i.' were ccveral passengers on the coae'r.'. The road was only about fifteen feet wide at the spot, from bank to outside. Witness had been coach-driv-ing for about &» years, and had novel received a complaint re bis driving. To Mr. Qiihliam: He would lie surprised to learn that the road was :il feet wide at the spot. He had never expressed the. idea that because lie drove the Itovai Mail coach In: was entitled to the' whole road. He had bad too much experience of coach driving for that.

Senior Scrgl. Haddrejl deposed that lie went down on t'li'e roach on July 17th. and that the marks made by Che car were pointed out to him by Mr •lury. *'n the road book next day a number of .-ar< passed them. Some they lieard and s< n;e they did not. To Mr. guilliam: He thought that ii the i-.'r attempted to pass at the spot pointed out to Mm it was a rather dangerous ,ihire. .Mr. .Siaiidisli applied for an adjournment for a week to get tile evidence of a witness which would ha eorrohcra tive as to the absence of any warning note from the car. Tlie Magistrate accordingly adjourned the ease for a week, wlmi a demonstration will lie given a- tc the powers of the syren. " i-i ——