“Like the swallows and the telegraph-wires”: Road Safety in New Zealand, 1898–1930

Abstract

Safety was a major concern for both motorists and other road users in the early decades of the twentieth century in New Zealand, as it was in many other countries. This article looks at road accidents, perceptions of reckless driving and the dangers posed to pedestrians, placing them in an international context. The response to the new dangers included a variety of safety campaigns, targeted particularly at children. The New Zealand experience closely matches the four traffic-safety paradigms identified by Peter Norton for the United States.