TOLL OF THE ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19890, 20 May 1936, Page 8

TOLL OF THE ROAD

ACCIDENT FATALITIES. NATIONAL CONTROL ESSENTIAL. PRESENT SYSTEM INADEQUATE. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. “ Road accidents are to-day killing the people of New Zealand at the rate of one a day, and maiming or seriously injuring them at the rate of 20 a day,” stated the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, speaking on the Transport Licensing Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this evening. “ That means that we are killing our people on the roads at the rate of more than 300 a year; more than that, we are maiming them at the rate of between 4000 and 5000 a year- That is really a terrible toll for a counrty with a population of just over one and ahalf million. I submit that what is wrong is that we have not the means of control over transport that we should have.” There were 303 local bodies in the Dominion, and each one had the right to make its own by-laws to control traffic, the Minister added. There was no system of national control of bylaws at all. There was no means of testing on a national basis the mechanical fitness of vehicles, and yet that was a virtually necessary part of the system. There was no doubt that some of the accidents were due to faulty brakes on vehicles. Some of the blame could also be laid on the lack of-proper policing of the roads. The present system was stupid, and had to slop.