DEATH ON THE ROADS StEt,—As Janus says, the fuss made
about the execution of a few murderers is surprising when one considers that 5,000 deaths on the road every year attract so little attention. In addition to this big death- roll, over 15,000 persons are injured on the roads every month, or about 200,000 every year. It would have been better for many of these if they had been killed, for they will be bedridden for the rest of their lives. It will be generally agreed that drink and magisterial leniency are responsible to a considerable extent for this huge total-of road casualties. The imposition of trivial fines for driving a car when .drunk is a totally inadequate deterrent. If only magistrates were compelled by law to send to prison for at least one month every motorist convicted of this most serious offence—for a motor-car in the hands of a drunken motorist is a lethal weapon—many more motorists would see the wisdom of never touching drink as long as they were in charge of a car.—Yours, &c.,
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