H.—4o.

(c) " Hit-and-Run " Drivers. Covering the period from 1932 to the present year, the table below shows the number of claims and the amounts paid out under the agreements relating to claims by victims of " hit-and-run " drivers for personal damages due to negligence of the driver. The Motor-vehicles Amendment Act, 1936, completely revolutionizes the responsibility at law of the driver who leaves his victim on the road unattended. In place of the former maximum penalty of £20 fine, the new legislation places this driver in the criminal class and makes the maximum penalty five years' imprisonment or £500 fine, the same as in the case of the negligent or intoxicated driver who causes death. It is hoped that this action will result in this type of offence being materially reduced.

Table of Claims.

3. MOTOK-VEHICLES ACT, 1924. (a) Registrations op Motor-vehicles, by Types op Vehicle. Under the Motor-vehicles Act a new vehicle is registered and simultaneously licensed for the ensuing year or part thereof. The license is renewable each year. If a license is not renewed, the registration is classed as " dormant," and after remaining " dormant " for two complete years is cancelled, the assumption being that the vehicle in question is permanently off the road. If, however, the vehicle is again brought into use after its registration has thus been cancelled, it is treated as a new registration. The registration figures set out hereunder, therefore, are not an exact record of the number of new vehicles introduced into our traffic system ; they include an unknown but probably small number of vehicles which have been out of commission for more than two years. The following table sets out the annual registrations since 1926 :—

The foregoing figures have' been incorporated in the following table, which shows the relative increase or decrease in the annual registrations measured according to the figures for 1926 :—

4

Amount paid Expenses incurred Year ending 31st May, which Claims ° ut to + by Underwriters in ma( j e Claimants. handling Claims. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1932 (five months only) .. .. .. 5 595 0 0 145 3 6 1933 .. .. .. .. .. 11 885 8 0 144 8 7 1934 .. .. .. .. .. 12 720 2 6 150 5 10 1935 .. .. .. .. .. 29 1,66111 4 324 5 10 1936 .. .. .. .. .. 38 1,058 7 6 295 10 1 Totals .. .. .. .. 95 4,920 9 4 1,059 13 10

I ' I I Year ended 31st March, Oars. jCommercial Vehicles. Cycles. Total Registrations. 1926 .. .. .. 18,811 4,409 5,130 28,350 1927 .. .. .. 16,439 4,692 5,464 26,595 1928 12,531 3,399 4,560 20,490 1929 .. .. .. 18,739 4,167 4,768 27,674 1930 .. .. .. 20,802 5,745 4,300 30,847 1931 .. .. .. 12,378 4,113 3,139 19,630 1932 .. .. • 6,151 2,656 2,058 10,865 1933 .. .. .. 4,716 2,640 2,072 9,428 1934 .. .. .. 5,551 3,339 1,956 10,846 1935 .. .. .. 12,895 5,011 2,233 20,139 1936 .. .. .. 19,469 6,445 2,421 28,335

Year ended 31st March, Cars. Commercial Vehicles.j Cycles. Total Registrations. 1926 .. .. 100 100 100. 100 1927 .... 87 106 107 94 1928 .... 67 77 89 72 1929 .. .. 100 95 93 98 1930 .. .. Ill 130 84 109 1931 - 66 93 61 69 1932 .. .. 33 - 60 40 38 1933 .... 25 60 40 33 1934 .... 30 76 38 38 1935 .... 69 114 44 71 1936 .. .. 103 146 47 100