MOTOR CYCLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1938, Page 6

MOTOR CYCLES

TWENTY TIMES AS DANGEROUS aS cars ADOPTION OF RESTRICTIONS CONSIDERED. STATEMENT BY TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day, A warning to motor-cyclists that serious restrictions on the use of motorcycles might be necessary if the accident rate of the Christmas holiday period continued was issued by the Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. 1,. Laurenson) todav.

Statistics from December 22 to December 28 showed, he said, that motorcycles were twenty times as dangerous as private cars. It rested with motorcyclists themselves to reduce the high accident rate. He recalled that in February the Road Safety Council considered the imposition of a speed restriction on motor-cycles and the prohibition of pillion riding. Action, however, Was deferred to enable those interested to endeavour to improve the position.

According to the figures for the year ended March 31 this year, motor-cycles were four times as dangerous as private cars, six . times as dangerous as motor-trucks and eleven times as dangerous as service cars and omnibuses. The results available from the present holiday period indicated that the position was worse and the figures were so serious that he proposed to report bn the whole matter to the . Minister immediately after the holidays.