H.—4o

The Council early decided that the problems to be dealt with could be divided into different sections as follows :— (i) Traffic laws including enforcement thereof. (ii) Education and propaganda. (iii) Vehicle-inspection. (iv) Vehicle and highway lighting. (v) Road conditions. (vi) Alcohol and the driver. (vii) Statistics of road accidents. The first meeting of the Council, held on the 23rd September, 1936, was devoted principally to setting up sub-committees for the purpose of dealing with those of the above subjects requiring detailed attention. At the next meeting, held on the 12th and 13th of November, 1936, the reports of the subcommittees were considered by the Council. These reports form a very valuable review of measures to be taken for road safety and are published in the Appendix to this report. The members expended much time and care in the formulating of these reports, and the public spirit shown is worthy of highest praise. The reports were in general adopted by the Council and recommendations accordingly were made to the Minister. Concerning the report on publicity, it was agreed that the question of finance should be held over. This matter is referred to in the following section of this report. At the third meeting, held on the 21st July, 1937, reports were received from the Department setting forth the action taken (as detailed in appropriate sections of this report) to further the recommendations of the Council and generally to increase safety on the roads. Of the miscellaneous recommendations received from the Council, one was that advertising agencies be approached with a view to discouraging the use of yellow and black advertisements liable to be confused with the standard traffic signs. This recommendation was carried out and has resulted in a gratifying response from the agencies. In addition to the value of the Council as an expert advisory body to the Minister of Transport on road-safety problems, its proceedings, which are featured by the press, form a very valuable means of bringing before the public from time to time the seriousness of the road-accident problem. G.—PREVENTIVE MEASURES. (i) Publicity and Education. From November, 1936, when the Road Safety Council first met to consider the reports of its various committees, action has been taken in various ways to bring home to all users of the road the seriousness of the road-accident problem and the necessity for greater care by all. During the Christmas period and the early part of the present year picture-theatres co-operated in the campaign by displaying a road-safety slide. Addresses and pronouncements have been made over the air, and the press has devoted considerable space to the problem. Each holder of a driver's license has been supplied with an indexed copy of the revised Traffic Regulations issued in December, 1936, and a copy of the Road Code ; the latter includes a summary of the regulations. A copy of the Road Code has been sent to each of the 355,000 householders served by the Postal Department. Leaflets addressed to parents and containing a list of the principal rules for child pedestrians and child cyclists were distributed to all State and private schools in the early part of the present year, the leaflets being sufficient to provide one for each pupil. Information for use by teachers in giving instruction in the schools has been published from time to time in the Education Gazette. Supplies of Road Codes have been sent to teachers' training colleges for study by students and for the preparation of lessons to children. Reference is now made to proposed future activities. Following the report and recommendations of the sub-committee on adult education and propaganda, involving considerable expenditure, the Council decided to set up a sub-committee to consider the question of finance. It had been suggested, when the matter was before the Council, that, in addition to what the Government itself might provide, funds might be obtained from interested organizations. The sub-committee came to the conclusion, however, that it was undesirable to seek funds in that manner, but favoured an arrangement by which there would be effective co-operation between the automobile associations and the Government. Other members of the Council concurred generally with these conclusions, and consequently on sth February last, the Hon. Minister of Transport wrote to the motor unions on the subject of co-operation in the carrying-out of the campaign. Portion of this letter is quoted : — " The excellent work done by associations to date is recognized and appreciated, and I am sure they will all wish to take an active part, and in the most effective way possible, in an endeavour to promote road safety throughout the Dominion. " In view of the active part now being taken by the Government, and in view of the complexity and gravity of the problem, I feel that there should be close consultation and co-operation between the associations and the Government with the object of bringing about some form of co-ordinated effort. The aim of such effort should be, I suggest, to obviate overlapping of work and expenditure and to ensure that due attention is given to both the general treatment of the problem and to special phases of it, including the needs of individual areas and the extraordinary conditions prevailing at certain times of the year." *

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