hi.- 40

5. No alterations in the limitation of loads on the roads were effected during the year. Roadworks have chiefly been confined to the maintenance of existing surfaces, and in general this maintenance has consisted in the repair of climatic damage rather than damage caused by traffic. 6. Road Accidents. —During 1943 the number of road accidents reported was 2,112 — i.e., nearly 9 per cent, more than the number similarly reported in 1942. The road deaths in 1.943 totalled 145 as compared with 167 in 1942, but there was an increase in the number of persons injured during 1943, these totalling 2,746, as against 2,416 in 1942. The following table classifies the casualties resulting from motor-vehicle accidents during the last five years : —

7. The number of fatalities in 1943 showed a drop of over 40 per cent, since 1939. The following table compares the number of casualties on the open road with the number occurring iu the ■cities and other towns. The table shows that while the number of accidents on the open road has materially decreased, the number occurring in the built-up areas remains very considerable despite the reduction in the volume of traffic. The preceding table indicates that the accident rate among pedestrians shows the least improvement.

8. Road Traffic Instruction in Schools. —During the war many of the former activities designed to cope with the road-accident problem have been temporarily shelved. However, the work in schools is thought to be of such importance and effectiveness that this has been extended during the past year. The <*reat burden of this instruction is necessarily carried by the school-teachers themselves in their daily work. Their instruction has been maintained throughout, and the resultant improvement in road conduct of school pupils is reflected by the following accident figures :—

9. This steady improvement in the accident position among school pupils is very striking when compared with the general accident position. In 1943 the number of casualties among adult pedestrians and cyclists showed a slight increase again, but the corresponding school-child casualties showed a further drop to only 63 per cent, of the 1942 total and amounted in all to little more than one-quarter of the child casualties prior to the war. 10. It is hoped that, in addition to reducing the immediate accident rate among juveniles, persistent instruction of the school child will have a beneficial long-term result upon the general road-accident position in New Zealand. 11. After an unavoidable break of twelve months the two Departmental Road Traffic Instructors resumed their work in the schools in February, 1943, and later in the year two additional full-time Instructors were appointed to the Department. 12. During the year a scheme was brought into operation co-ordinating all the " outside " traffic instruction available to schools. Hitherto some of the local bodies had sent their Traffic Inspectors and some of the automobile associations their road service officers to schools for the purpose of lecturing to pupils on matters of traffic conduct. Under the new scheme this assistance to teachers is organized so that the instruction available is directed to the best advantage and is given on more or less uniform lines.

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Killed. Injured. | ~ 1939. 1940. 1941. 1942. 1943. 1939. 1940. 1941. 1942. 1943. Occupants of motor-vehicles 127 86 76 75 67 3,015 2,095 1,820 1,197 1,498 Motor-cyclists and pillion- 33 26 21 26 16 740 479 397 221 198 riders Bicyclists .. .. 38 30 25 22 20 913 872 726 477 463 Pedestrians .. .. 50 59 53 44 42 925 724 612 492 557 ■Others .. .. • ■ 3 3 .. .. .. 56 53 36 29 30 Total ... .. 251 204 175 167 145 5,649 4,223 3,591 2,416 2,746

Number of Persons killed or injured. In Built-up Areas. On the Open Road. Totals. Year. Killed. Injured. Killed. | Injured. Killed. Injured. * ' I I i 1939 .. 92 3,287 | 159 2,362 ! 251 5,649 1940 .. .. 92 2,591 112 1,632 i 204 4,223 1941 .. 96 2,329 79 1,262 175 3,591 1942 .. 85 1,581 82 835 167 2,416 1943 76 1,929 69 817 145 2,746 I

Number of School Pupils injured (including killed). 1938. 1939. 1940. 1941. 1942. 1943. As pedestrians .. •• •• 183 182 145 111 70 49 As cyclists 225 214 188 150 97 57 Total .. .. • • 408 396 333 261 167 106