H.—4o.

The actual hourly distribution of accidents in urban and rural areas throughout the whole year is as follows :—

Table F. —Classification of Motor Accidents according to Hour of Occurrence.

(cl) The Effect of Darkness. The effect of conditions of darkness in contributing to accidents is apparent from the statistics. In the year ended 31st March, 1939, the distribution of accidents each month according to daylight and dark was as follows : —

Table G.—Classification of Accidents each Month according to Light Conditions.

In addition to lack of seeing ability at night, which is undoubtedly the major reason for the increase in night accidents, the following other factors would contribute to some degree also : — (i) Fatigue of road-user ; (ii) Greater proportion of " joy-riding " at night; (iii) Liquor a more common factor at night than in the daytime,

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Number of Accidents. Built-up Areas. Areas not Built up. All Areas. Hour of Bay. Bercentage Bercentage Bercentage Number. of Daily Number. of Daily Number. of Daily Total. Total.' Total.' l_ Midnight to 1 a.m. .. .. 53 1-9 40 2-6 93 2-1 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. .. .. .. 24 0-8 28 1-8 52 1-2 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. .. .. 19 0-7 17 1-1 36 0-8 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. .. .. .. 15 0-5 11 0-7 26 0-6 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. .. .. .. 8 0-3 7 0-5 15 0-3 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. .. .. .. 9 0-3 7 0-5 16 0-4 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. .. .. .. 9 0-3 11 0-7 20 0-5 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. .. .. .. 123 4-4 37 2-4- 160 3-7 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. .. .. .. 106 3-7 49 3-2 155 3-5 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. .. .. 85 3-0 60 3-8 145 3-3 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. .. .. 1 14 4-0 62 3-9 176 4-0 11 a.m. to noon .. ... .. 133 4-7 87 5-6 220 5-0 Noon to 1 p.m. .. .. .. 190 6-7 49 3-2 239 5-5 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. .. .. .. 121 4-3 53 3-__4 174 4-0 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. .. .. .. 140 5-0 105 6*8 245 5-6 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. .. .. .. 156 5-5 134 8-6 290 6-6 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. .. .. .. 252 8-9 139 8-9 391 8-9 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. .. . . .. 333 11-8 157 10 • 1 490 11 • 2 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. .. .. .. 209 7-5 138 8-9 347 7-9 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. .. .. .. 267 9-5 116 7-5 383 8-7 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.. .. .. .. 167 5-9 74 4-8 241 5-5 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. .. .. 97 3-4 62 3-9 159 3-6 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. .. .. 117 4-0 57 3-6 174 4-0 11 p.m. to midnight .. .. 81 2-9 55 3-5 136 3-1 Totals .. .. .. 2,828 100-0 1,555 100-0 4,383 100-0 I

Number of Accidents each Month. Condition of Light. ! I April. May. June, j July. Aug. Sept. ! Oct. Nov. j Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Total. Daylight .. ..286 215 170 160 175 192 251 274 302 262 253 241 2,781 Darkness (including 204 175 186 173 135 120 135 72 96 66 101 139 1,602 dusk) Totals.. .. 490 390 356 333 310 312 386 346 398 328 354 380 4,383