H.—40

In order to study the effect of the road-safety campaign up to date the following table has been prepared showing the monthly death-rate for the period of nineteen months that has elapsed since the campaign activity commenced in September, 1936, and comparing this with the death-rate during the nineteen months preceding September, 1936. In order to compare also the motor-vehicle usage during these periods the petrol consumed on the roads each month is shown. From these figures the number of deaths per million gallons of petrol used is obtained. It is seen that during the nineteen months preceding the campaign—i.e., from February, 1935, to August, 1936 —there were 345 deaths from motor accidents on our roads and 104,000,000 gallons of petrol were consumed by road vehicles. During the comparable period of the campaign 346 lives were lost and 130,000,000 gallons of petrol were used. The number of deaths per million gallons of petrol consumed has dropped from 3-31 to 2-65, this representing a reduction of 20 per cent. Had the former fatality-rate continued it is estimated that there would have been a total of 433 deaths instead of 346 in the nineteen months from September, 1936, to March, 1938, or another 4to 5 deaths each month. Actually this estimate is conservative, as the mathematical possibility of accident increases at a faster rate than the increased amount of road use.

Comparison of the Monthly Death-rate and Road Usage before and after the Road-safety Campaign commenced.

Although through lack of earlier statistics it has not been possible to compare the accidents which have occurred during the past year with those of former years except in the case of fatalities, very many useful analyses have been made, as, for example, in regard to the nature, time of occurrence, and causes of the accidents and the types of road users involved. During the year the statistics have been used for publicity purposes and for drawing the attention of traffic authorities and the Courts to prevalent breaches of the law leading to accidents. Special analyses have enabled various investigations to be made, as, for instance, into the prevalence of taxi rental car, and also motor-cycle accidents ; other investigations have followed a detailed analysis ot accidents 'involving personal injuries to children and adolescents. Cases of faulty road conditions have been taken up with road-controlling authorities as they were revealed by the individual reports. For the purpose of ascertaining where the control of traffic is most urgently needed, accident-spot maps have been maintained by the Department in respect of the rural areas. In the case of the cities and larger boroughs brief particulars of every local accident have been supplied to the local authorities. In this way the larger authorities controlling traffic in their own area are kept fully apprised of the mam facts relating to local accidents. . , . . The analyses already made and presented in Table No. 9 m the Appendix give the general statistics available at present. It is proposed that the Department should publish a separate bulletin later 111 the year dealing in greater detail with the statistics for the past year. All the accidents for 1937-38 are recorded in the totals presented, however, except perhaps for an odd minor accident or two which may not yet be reported. From a study of the statistics the following mam features are apparent (i) There was 1 fatal accident for every 17 accidents where persons were injured to some extent. Also for every 21 persons injured there was 1 person killed. (ii) Nearly 90 per cent, of all motor accidents were collisions. The collisions were mainly with other motor-vehicles (38 per cent.), bicyclists (28 per cent.), and pedestrians (23 per cent.).

19

Nineteen Months preceding Safety Campaign. Nineteen Months of Active Campaign. , T , Petrol Deaths Number Petrol Deaths Number C on SU med per M .. consumed per Month - _ (Million Million Month - Deaths < Million Ml lon Deaths. | 6a ii ons ). Gallons. ' Gallons). Gallons. 1935 1936. February' .. .. 15 5-0 3-0 September .. .. 5 5-5 0-9 March .. .. 17 5-8 3 1 October .. .. 13 6-1 2-1 \17 5-5 3-1 November .. .. 10 01 l - b 19 5-5 3-4 December .. .. 21 8'1 2-0 Tune " " 14 4-4 3-2 1937. Julv ' ..14 4-6 3-0 January .. .. 15 0-1 2-0 August .. •• 8 4-9 1-6 February .. .. 22 6-6 3-3 September .. .. 12 4-8 2-8 March .. > - - October .. .. 15 3-4 2-8 April .. .. 20 7- 2-8 November .. .. 14 5-6 2-8 May .. .. 28 6-1 4 6 December .. .. 24 6-5 3-7 June .. .. 20 6-3 3-2 I ()'»; July .. .. 15 6-3 2-4 January' •• 18 6-2 2 ' 9 August .. .. 18 6-4 L-8 Februarv .. .. 21 6-1 3-4 September ,. .. 17 fa-8 W March " .. .. 27 6-0 4-8 October .. .. 20 6-0 \ m .:] .. 21 8-8 3-6 November .. .. 15 7-8 2-0 " " 26 8-6 4-6 December .. .. 24 8-8 2-7 :: :: 22 6 . 7 39 1938. Julv 18 8-8 3-1 January .. .. 22 7 - August 23 8-3 4-3 February .. .. 21 7-2 - •' Augu8t " March .. .. 23 8-3 2-8 Totals .. 348 104-2 3-31 Totals .. 346 130-7 2 05