BAD HABITS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20726, 9 February 1939, Page 8

BAD HABITS

WARNING TO MOTORISTS REGULATIONS NOT OBSERVED DUTIES EMPHASISED “ Traffic regulations have been mad'' in the interests of safe driving and for the protecf4r»n of the public.” said Mr S, L. Paterson. S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court. Hamilton, to-day, when condemning the non-observance nf the rulej? of the road, which he described as all ton common. • The magistrate said regulations indicated to drivers the extent of their duties a« users of the road. Although at the time a breach of a regulation might not. be dangerous habitual disregard of the rules tended to make for dangerous driving, as motorists were all the time forming bad habits. On Incorrect Side “ I think.” added Mr Paterson. “ the most prolific source of accidents is the failure of motorists to keep to the left. “ Drivers will use the centre of the road. They drive In that manner when the road is clear and thus form the habit of cutting corners. When an emergency a rise's the habit becomes an instinct and prevails over any hasty decisions of precaution which might otherwise have arisen. “ When people get out of the habit of driving on the centre of the road, the safer the highways will be. Cuttings corners is a very dangerous practice.” The remarks from the bench were made when Gustav Gruenvald. veterinary surgeon, of Hamilton Mr P. G. Harkness), was convicted and fined £2 for dangerous driving on the HamiltonCambn’dge main highway on December 26. The prosecution on behalf of the Transport Department was conducted by Traffic Inspector C. D. Treadgold, of Cambridge, who stated that Gruenvald had cut the corner at the intersection of Grey and Bridge Streets on the night he was apprehended and later cut three corners on his Journey to Cambridge before being stopped al Pukeroro. Defendant admitted to the inspector that it was his usual manner of driving when the road was clear. Mr Harkness submitted that the case was not as serious as the inspector suggested in view of the fact that the road was clear.