MOTOR CARS AND COUNTRY ROADS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sm,—Your championship of the safety of our country roads tempts me to write of another danger which we who live in the country, and who are constantly compelled to motor on our narrow country lanes, find with increasing frequency. In the beautiful part of Yorkshire in which I live we have during the summer large numbers of motorists touring our dales on Saturdays and Sundays who wisely come out from the smoky industrial towns for fresh air, light and beauty, of which they see so little during the week. We welcome them gladly if only they would drive with consideration, but they very frequently fail to realize that they are driving on tortuous eighteen foot lanes and not on straight thirty foot roads, nor do they seem to be acquainted with the first elements of safe driving suitable for such country. They go round corners and over high pitched bridges right on the crown of the road heedless of what will happen to themselves or any other unfortunate motorist coming from the opposite direction, whereas they could drive with equal speed and much greater safety if only they would invariably drive with the off wheels near the crown whenever they round a corner or travel on roads with only a very short stretch of straight. I have frequently had to draw up to allow such thoughtless drivers to get off the crown and on to their own side in order to pass me, when if they had only driven with courteous thought we could each have passed safely whilst travelling at twenty miles an hour.
Examination in driving before issuing a licence is quite useless, but something possibly might be done to ensure that every licence holder did know the ordinary courtesies and safety usages of the road as well as the laws of the highway, and if that was done and practised our motoring in narrow lanes in summer instead of being a nightmare might be changed to a pleasure.—I am, Sir, &c., Cofescue, Middleham, Yorkshire. ALFRED ROWNTREE.1
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