Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-13
Shall Bicycles BE Licensed.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
read your recent article on licensing
bicycles with great interest, but IAN 10
coincide in your point of view 1t Is not
question as to either number of cycles nor
tkeir rights alone, but the public has a
controlling interest over this, as OF all other
questions of safety and rates of speed and
taxation of property. The safety of indi-
viduals, particularly the old and very
young, those who are deaf or blind or par
tally so, in crossing streets, requires that
the speed of all vehicles should be limited
by law. Not only this. but the skill of the
drivers should be ascertained before IL
cense, the condition of his own eyesight
and hearing, whether he is a drinking or
sober man, whether he carries bell by
dav and a lantern by night, plainly audi
BILE and visible, and the rules governing the
right of way on the streets. These are all
to he considered. To meet the first condi-
ton. that of skillful handling of his We
hicle, / hold that he should be required 10
obtain license upon personal examina-
ton by an expert nave seen young men
and girls driving at full speed IN our
streets heads down, without note OF warn
ing by sound or light. i have seen others
trying so hard to handle their vehicles that
their eyes and limbs and minds were SO
fully taken up with their machine that
they were in equal danger to themselves
and others. You might as well set hero
of wild buffaloes free on Connecticut ave-
nue. At present, in most of our large
cities ii is a mere matter of chance TO
cross a street safely! There is no record OF
the number of accidents happening in our
city from this cause But we can 1uage o.
what ought to be done from what has been
done elsewhere to mitigate the evil In
London city until last year the usual lax
regulations had prevailed. But II was
found that some fifty serious accidents,
besides hundreds of minor injuries. were
recorded and hundreds more unrecordeo.
So that more stringent steps had to be
taken-a license tax, with registration OK
owners name and residence, speed nmita-
ton rules of right of way, number regis
tered to be large and ccnspicuously kept
in view and supervision Of the police, with
not only loss of license, but big hnes tor
violation of rules resulting in injury to
Others In the city of Basic, Switzerland
no bicycles are allowed to drive at all with
in city limits. To conclude, by all means
let us require, first, inspections as TO the
competence of the driver; second. regula-
lions concerning speed and rights OF way,
bells, lights and voice warnings and IL
censes to boot. Require also the rider 70
exhibit his licensed number plainly and
make the duty of policemen to arrest par
ties in fault. as you would for any other
misdemeanor, throwing the burden OF
proof on the cycler, as between hlmseit
and the party knocked over by the ma
chine, for the reason that he goes as
noiseless and inaudible as the foot OF
time" Moreover, it is due to the wheel
man himself to be informed beforehand,
and l would guard his rights as strictly
as those of other drivers or foot passen-
gers. But the police force must be en-
larged, as matter OF course: Inc addi,
tional expense would be more than covered
by the tax or license, which need not be
laid higher than is laid on other kinds
of property-not less than dollar year
on the lowest bicycle, which, indeed.
ing ~ 'e '''e '''' SUBSCRIBER.