Numerous complaints were arising in Luton about motorcyclists in military uniform driving in a reckless and dangerous fashion, said Town Clerk Mr William Smith.
He was prosecuting at Luton Police Court this morning when Charles A. Griffiths, aged 21, of 66 Kenilworth Road, Luton, a corporal in the signal section of the Royal Engineers, pleaded not guilty to riding a motor bicycle in Hitchin Road to the danger of the public on June 10th.
The Town Clerk said that at about 6.55pm a tram had arrived at Round Green [pre-war picture of the tram terminus, above], and among the passengers who got off it were Mr and Mrs Hart and their three children, who lived just off Dallow Road.
Driver Kenny Thorne was reversing the trolley pole on the near side of the car, and he was between the tram and the kerb. He heard a horn which indicated to him that a vehicle of some sort was approaching, and he looked and saw a motorcyclist coming from the direction of the town at what he called a terrific rate, and which he now estimated at between 30 and 40 miles an hour.
He attempted to jump from the carriageway on to the footpath, but he was unsuccessful. The defendant was going so fast that the driver of the tram had no chance to get out of the way, and the rider ran into the driver and knocked him down. He sustained a broken collar bone on the left side, severe bruises on the back of the head and other injuries.
The motorcycle went on some distance and ran into Mrs Hart. She was lifted a yard off the ground, she said, and was thrown down, sustaining bruises to the head and to an arm and a leg.
In each case the two people had to receive medical treatment, and one of Mrs Hart's children fell as a result of coming into contact with her.
The defendant said at the time that he was not going more than 20 miles an hour, but later persisted in making a statement to police that he was not going more than 10 or 15 miles an hour.Said the Town Clerk: "There seems to be an entirely mistaken notion held by people who drive these vehicles that they are the only persons entitled to use the highway. I want to dispel that. The law is this - everyone has a perfect and undoubted right to use every part of the highway between wall and wall and fence and fence."
He added that he heard it said every day that people who drove these vehicles had only to sound a horn and people had to scurry out of their way. As a matter of fact, everyone had as much right to the centre of the road as to the centre of the footpath. Defendant had said he gave warning of his approach, and he evidently thought that because it was not acted upon he could ride roughshod over anyone in the way.
The defendant, on oath, said he did not see anyone at the tram, only a few passengers near, and not seeing anyone he did not think of passing round the car. When he got past it he found that the trolley rope had caught him round his neck, and he contended that he did not strike the tram. Had he done so he would have come to a halt at once.
Owing to reduced gear it was impossible to do more than 20 miles an hour on his cycle.
Cross-examined, he said he sounded the hooter 20 yards before he got to the tram, and he kept the sounding up for four or five yards.
What was a motorist to do it he sounded his horn and the road was not clear? he asked. Said the Town Clerk: "Stop!"
Cpl Griffiths was fined £5 and told to pay special costs of £2 1s.
The Town Clerk said: "The have been numerous complaints made lately to the Watch Committee about motorcyclists in the King's uniform. We are not at all anxious to place any embargo on military work, but there are a number of men in uniform who ride about the town in a most reckless and dangerous manner, to the detriment of the public. If any more cases are reported, the committee have instructed me to take the strongest possible measures to have the offenders before the court, be they officers or men. The complaints are very serious, and the committee are getting rather tired of dealing with them."
[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, June 19th, 1915]