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right into a moving vehicle. There were 233 cases recorded where pedestrians walked into the vehicle. There were also over one hundred cases where the pedestrian stepped out into the traffic lane from behind another vehicle which masked him from view and prevented him from seeing approaching vehicles. (xvii) Pedestrians walking along the road in the same direction as the vehicle were struck in 84 cases, while only 17 of those walking in the opposite direction to the vehicle were struck. There were 44 instances of pedestrians struck by motor-vehicles while on authorized pedestrian crossings. (xviii) Nearly 20 per cent, of the accidents occurred on wet bitumen or concrete surfaces, and in 14 per cent, of the cases the surface was of loose metal. It does not necessarily follow, however, that these factors were in every case a cause of the accident. A common fault encountered in regard to road conditions, however, is that of obstructed view. This was reported in .150 cases and was often found to be caused by some form of vegetation growth, such as high hedges at road intersections, (xix) Although particulars have been ascertained regarding the years of experience of motordrivers, the full value of this analysis would be obtained only from a comparison with the total number of drivers in each group. The latter information is not available. D. PREVENTIVE MEASURES. Road Conditions. Where the motor accident reports received from the police have referred to faulty road conditions at the scene of any particular accident, the Department has taken the matter up with the roadcontrolling authority, with the result that in many cases the hazards have been eliminated. The most common hazards reported are in regard to obstructions to view caused by trees or hedges, mainly at intersections, and also unnecessarily heavy loose metal road surfaces. In many cases it is obvious that the road conditions would be perfectly safe if the motorist exercised a greater degree of care. This is particularly evidenced where loose metal surfaces are reported. However, this fact does not relieve the road-controlling authority of the responsibility of maintaining the gravel roads in a safe condition with a light film of fine material rather than a heavy coat of large-sized metal as is sometimes encountered. Lighting of Highways. The recommendations of the New Zealand Road Safety Council provided for the installation of a modern system of highway lighting on those highways where the daily volume of traffic reached a minimum of 2,500 motor-vehicles. At that time the only roads outside urban centres which qualified iu this respect were (i) the Hutt Road between Wellington and Petone and (ii) the Great South Road between Auckland and Otahuhu. However, it now appears from the results of the recent traffic census that the volume of 2,500 vehicles per day is exceeded on the Great South Road from Auckland for at least as far as Manurewa. Also the South Road leading out of Christchurch now carries over 2,500 vehicles for a short distance. The lighting of these highways is regarded as a national matter, and until the Main Highways Board, representing the Government, assumes control of the sections in question little progress can be made. E. EDUCATION OF CHILDREN There is a growing but as yet inadequate appreciation of the importance of children having a working knowledge of the main traffic rules and of their becoming imbued with a full sense of their responsibilities, as children and later as adults, to other users of the road. First to be considered is the danger to the child if he is not equipped with the knowledge necessary to help him to ensure safety for himself ; but the matter goes further than this. Too many young people are acquiring bad road habits which they may carry with them into adult life, and unless effective action is taken to prevent the formation of such habits there is likely always to be an adult accident problem of considerable magnitude. The view adopted in 1936 by the Road Safety Council may be here recalled and emphasized — namely, that when looking at the future a commencement should be made with the child. The aim is not only to reduce the casualty rate among children, but also to assist .the children to develop into more self-controlled, considerate, and law-abiding people than are often seen on the highways to-day. If the folly of the sacrifice of and injury to young lives is set aside and the whole matter examined solely from a financial point of view, it may still be agreed that it is wiser to expend public moneys upon the prevention of accident-causing faults than to allow those faults to develop and to spend far larger sums upon the more difficult task of eradication. Unfortunately, for some time to come much effort and a good deal of expenditure upon the latter are unavoidable if road casualties are to be kept in check, but it can be anticipated that increased and sustained efforts in the juvenile field will in time more readily permit of a reduction of the effort and expenditure now necessary upon the eradication of adult faults. A great deal of very valuable work has been done in the schools, mainly by teachers, but supplemented in some areas by lectures and demonstrations given by outside instructors. It seems that the main effort will require to be made in the schools, although the efforts of teachers and of special instructors need to be reinforced by parental effort and example. The work in the schools has been extended in recent months, and further extensions are in train. The Department has been associated closely with the Education Department in regard to this extension of activity. From time to time, in the Education Gazette, the Education Department has drawn the

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