Careless Driving.
The Times, 1824-07-09T00:00:00

To THE EDITOR . 0 T2fL TlIfES.;. 8ir,-.Your columns havewnot unfrequentlybteft occpied witb.Jc- tonnta ci' accidentshoolTences aincl;alsrticlative to the Paddingtoi stager, nd vet thereseems :to b. e po, t.eraiio.i ,Jtheircond ett or diminution of fatal oceurrences. In .one of ypu'r paperi' NhlS week, you state that two coronpeps' tquests, Iiad bee.t beld' upon the -bedies%of two little isrnoc4ptsi Ithe yctir n' ofVithef carelesS or inattentive driving!; . anrd.. i: k. reiaty'.ily: ttilvih hthrf the parishes through which these vehi4es pass;;tool soxnc c; gEnt neans of putting an end.as,to sueb 4aiich;oiy ctiastrobhe. , Mlr. Editor, *reside upon. the -rpa4,.-ad .bave done sd for uiiany years; and -therefore -I can give. s te4tim'Rly. tolve ob.- vervatior, andI do soimpartailr;] for wFile IEl4nowTcTe tcQtithese coaches are very convenient, annniarly,of thei ver'y Trepectable, yet; I am also bountf to assettihat tbe.:greater pTrtVABIDm are The-very rererse of this and are dlven :.by snep wjio sec '.tO belong more tv the pugiiistiG t'han equestrian club: indeed I? harIe seen lnttanoees oi attitude on a disp.te about.a fare (which isth wayb cutint whcch leaves no dchut buttheFive,crcous t haseen thc oie In whichn they have chiefly derived their educatirp. Aio i ltiyhon tI levy l part of the road I see alupost.dailyd,siolentrating fos the purpose of enteavoystng to pshs eay hotier' and tos,ch atdegree doti the n jsrevr3inn thet an utc- quinstrance of mine, though nn excellent driver prefers going a over the stones toa d these mcn, rather thean.tike advatage ofthe raiy wvith its ri'kS. Eveo the best of them drive too'fast. 1 lltV'e entered tne of them while the three.quarters pbar t eight wcerr stsiking at St. Peure church, an d have erososed the 'hange wilst th'e chimest ao nine oere playing. . It hv iiopossible that they cany eisth- iee children upon the road, or toatv pte hastilv ehough if they did, while they continue, or rather sic8o ered f d.omkowtiAgt i fo .Fth remonstrance, advice, or fines at defiance, as tho do; and y have been told that they bave a club for the purposc otf - iot only.paying the fines, but for supporting their bre apren.if incarcerate dl Riding euttaide has now become so common, thlat geiitletrien bewcome ac- qualnted with the cnachmen, and a,llow them to conv'erse wtith theml so fafmiliarly, that they have become hoth sauiv aof careless; and, I am sorry to say it, buit I have 110 doubt that in' many instanlces in ahich they have come forward to attest to character that they have made eten ses tmos the coachman, more from knowitg hi orn the bos, and ns an acuhinantyopze, than from any conviction that he svf free from blame.- It is, indeedt, too-bad that parents arc to run tbe srisk of lnsinR a child from the shameful driving of mcn wvho nrc so regardless of character that they bave almost norieto lose. TIieir w.hole systtem is imposition; if you enter their cotches at the farthest end of Mtaid a.hill, you payv no more than you are reqnited to do Hf you enter at Battle-bridge i and ladies often submit to be bollied out of their pney,'ratlier than enter inta a zontest,whicb wotild sub- ject then) t=2ude language. If the m:tsters alone Were to drive, tlhcir own interest would be a sufficient guarantee to the. publie for their care and correct conduct ; and where thisis the case, the differ. ence is immediately visible by thc steady rnte at vwbich they go, and( by their pennitiing all the Lallopers to ptj s tqem. On Sj,ndays. when there is most danger, I knows not firom wh4it csu*er hut then there revms the most ftirious racing. I have seeil two eoaches witi every horse at full gallop fnr a quarter of' a wile.'. It i5, however, casier to find fault tban to finn a remedy but I thiAk if Ilae parish ffereld a revardl of 5>. or 10i. uvou everv con icion, and kept a patrol or constable on the move, I have no dloubt but it wotid soon - ffect a cure. (lentlemen, also, instead of encouraging them to pass eath other's coaches, ough- to protest attainst it, and be satsfied with common speed. At the sanie time, a accidents may ecetreven to the most guarded driver, parents shiould be very etireful not to Permit their children to cross the road without caretil servants be!nF wzith them. I trust something way he done; it is, indeed, high time, and there sure!y night be somn-e RaW to compel the owners of coaches to find steadfv anti experienced drivers, instead of intruisting themn in the hantls ot h;ovs and blacklegs. Not a gentleman, in his gig or on horselinek, who is not in fiar, on some part of the road; and not verylong ago. avery finc old gentleman aged about 80, who was driving hiis phaeton, lost his life by his hobses being Just brushed and startled hit one of these gentry.; for if they do net come in contact with, you,, they boast how near tley can drive without 8c- tually doing so. I hlope you will excuse this encroacbmirtent on your pages, bitt I am stire youatust be fully sensible that the sub- ;ot n ,,A n,l n.i,O ,hp atfcnthOf of those who can administer som e redress. Your obedient servant, Al. t.-. - 4t f;lzsB _ V17z8 L . - Kk - .