An important circular dealing with the motor question has been
issued by the Local Government Board to County Councils and Town Councils of boroughs with a population exceeding ten thousand. While admitting that there is good ground for complaint, and, by inference, that further legisla- tive restriction may be desirable, the Board are of opinion that the provisions of the Motor-Car Act of 1903, notably the section which applies to all cases of negligent or reckless driving irrespective of speed, ought, if carefully and systematically enforced in proper cases, to be sufficient to check most of the abuses complained of. They consider that racing, either by motor-omnibuses or other vehicles, on the public highways should be rigorously suppressed, and are willing to consider applications for the imposition of the lower speed-limit in places where it may be properly imposed. On the other hand, they urge on road authorities to use every effort to diminish the risk of accidents by removing or rounding corners, widening roads, pruning hedges near cross-roads, or substituting open fences for hedges.
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