Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

The image depicts unsafe driving in a traffic scene and is captioned “Wrong”.

Observe Road Safety Rules

“Don’t forget the road safety rules taught you at school,” was the advice issued by the Superintendent of Traffic (Sub-Inspector A. Purcell) yesterday.

He said that with the breaking-up of schools today, children would immediately enter into a holiday atmosphere. School lessons would be forgotten for some weeks. However, while at play or when using the roads either as pedestrians or cyclists, children should remember the rules they were taught to avoid accidents.

However, Sub-Inspector Purcell said, parents should restrain their children from playing on roads and from skylarking on bicycles. There were parks and playgrounds set aside for playing areas. He also urged children to remember the rules about crossing streets.

He also advised that children fond of swimming, should not swim alone, no matter how safe the locality. Children swimming should

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

The image depicts unsafe driving in a traffic scene and is captioned “Wrong”.

Safety Rules for Cyclists

If cyclists who ride carelessly only knew what a “nightmare” they are to motorists and other road-users, they would see the error of their ways.
Here are a few safety rules for cyclists:-
Learn to ride in a park or other safe place, staying off the streets until you ride well.
Keep your bicycle adjusted to fit you and keep it in good condition.
Keep to the left of the road and close to the kerb.
Obey all traffic rules and use hand signals when stopping and turning.
Ride without wobbling and avoid short turns. Do not weave through traffic.
Never ride double.
Never hold to a moving vehicle.
When riding at night, carry a front light and either a light or a reflector in the rear. Light-coloured clothes also help the motorist to see you.
Do not carry an

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

The image depicts unsafe driving in a traffic scene and is captioned “Wrong”.

Road Safety

On a narrow winding road be specially on the alert when you see a slow-moving heavily-laden vehicle approaching you from the opposite direction.
Impatient drivers often break out of line to pass such vehicles at dangerous spots, and unless you anticipate their stupidity you may be involved in a collision.

Description source:
Daily Mercury, 10 July 1953

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 4726

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Mobile Road Safety Display

Emphasis is being placed on road safety precautions during Show Week by an animated display featured by the Queensland Road Safety Council at the Cairns Show. Contained in two caravans, this mobile road safety display is unique in being the only one of its type in Australia. The public is invited to study the many “attractions” of this display by means of a stroll through the caravans which join together to form one complete unit.

The caravans contain many individual exhibition units in which the use of colour, lighting effects and moving operations within the units have been blended to present an eye-appealing display.

Press buttons, quizzes, cupboards containing “mysteries”, as well as flashing units depicting the “right and wrong” in traffic situations, will delight Show patrons, in addition to sharpening their knowledge of the Highway Code.

Short 16 m.m. films and also disc recordings

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

New Motor Bike Safety Moves

Queensland Road Safety Council is investigating new safety precautions for motor cyclists. A council officer said yesterday that a special committee was considering ways of cutting down motor cycle casualties.

He said the moves being considered were in line with those suggested by the Associate Professor of Social and Tropical Medicines, Brisbane (Professor E. S. Meyers) in a letter to The Courier-Mail.

Professor Meyers advocated that: All motor cycles have sidecards attached to aid stability; motor cyclists wear crash helmets; pillion riding be prohibited.

The officer said he would confer with the professor to see if he had any suggestions that could be placed before the committee.

However, police officers said that steps such as Professor Meyers suggested would be unnecessary if motor cyclists adhered closely to the traffic laws.

“Where there is a motor cycle accident, we generally find traffic regulations have been broken,” said

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Safety Newsletter

“The light of your life is Green – heed it!” is the message of the “Jaycee” Road Toll Indicator now installed at Petrie Bight, Brisbane.

This indicator which shows the total of road fatalities since 1st. January and the number of days since the last fatality in the city of Brisbane, is a Monument to the community service of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Messrs. Ampol Petroleum Pty. Ltd. and Messrs T. Tristam.

A GREEN light shows during the fatality free periods, but this is changed to RED when a fatality occurs during the previous 24 hours.

On Friday afternoon, 18th. June, the GREEN light was “turned on” showing 26 deaths during the past 23 weeks, and four days since a fatality. By Saturday night, its face was RED with two more fatalities.

For whom this indicator tolls, the people of Brisbane should become very colour conscious. RED

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Move To Ban Pillion Riding

Road Safety Council Proposals

Speed Limit Of 40 M.P.H. To Be Sought.

Brisbane, Nov. 14. – As a means of cutting down the high motor cycle casualty rate, the Government will be asked by the Queensland Road Safety Council to ban pillion-riding and set the maximum speed for the machines at 40 miles an hour – each proposal for a trial period of 12 months.
The recommendations were decided on by a council sub-committee, which investigated the reasons for road accidents.
The vice-chairman of the Road Safety Council (Mr. B. E. Ridding) said to-day that their recommendations, which would go to the State Government, were:-
That the establishment and operation of motor cycle training schools throughout the State should be encouraged and developed.
That the Police Department be asked to investigate the possibility of motor cyclists beingrequired to carry a learner’s plate for a period after the

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Pink Stockings For Road Safety

Captain W. Brass asked leave in the House of Commons on March 2 to introduce a bill requiring the carrying of rear reflectors on bicycles. He was told that the real reflector was a pair of pink silk stockings, but he did not want to make all female cyclists wear pink stockings. A red disc would reflect back the light from any vehicle that followed, and a great number of lives would be saved.

Commander Kenworthy, opposing the bill, said it would be just as logical to make sheep carry discs on their tails. Policemen patrolling the roads, and even lovers, would have to carry red discs. motorists ought to drive more carefully.

Leave was granted by 203 votes to 71, and the bill was read a first time.

Description source:
The Telegraph, 24 May 1926

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

The Menace Of Push Bicycles

Ensuring Safety of Riders

The phenomenal growth in the use of push bicycles which has taken place during the last few years not only in Brisbane streets, but in almost every country area has made it imperative, says the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, that the regulations regarding the carrying of a headlight and the fitting of a rear reflector must be more rigidly enforced. The club has no desire to see users of push bicycles put to the expense of paying a registration fee and fitting a number plate but asserts quite definitely that the safety of the roads demands that some action be taken to remove the present danger.

To continue reading visit:
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser,
9 January 1939

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 17806

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Y.M.C.A. Welfare Officers’ Task.

With changing methods of transport for the forces in New Guinea, Y.M.C.A. welfare units serving the men have had to adapt their supply lines accordingly.
When Australian troops were fighting over the Owen Stanley trail, supplies and most other things had to be taken by native carriers or such transport as could be used on jungle tracks.
Now, however, landing barges, parachutes, jeeps and blitz buggies are used wherever possible.
Mr. James Mitchell, a Y.M.C.A. welfare officer, now on leave from New Guinea, explained that welfare workers now hitch-hike their gear to forward areas by jeep; spread their tent-flies to form a rough canopy; and set up their tea or coffee urns, their stocks of razor blades, stationary and reading matter – and, of course, their radio sets.
He said this is an illustration of how the welfare worker with forward troops must cope with changing

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