New-York tribune., 1901-03-25
SPEED on THE STREETS.

Our artist has never hit the mark more
squarely than in the recent cartoon represent
ing the arrest of the driver of slowgoing old
horse for fast and reckless driving while a
horseless carriage was permitted 70 go whirling
along the same street nj far swifter pace with
out much as a warning. In that humorous
scene portrayed an evil of the highways
which is already great and which is steadily
growing. There is an increasing tendency TO
run horseless vehicles at much higher rates of
speed than the law permits i'm the case of
horses and indeed TO claim for them and to
concede 10 them the right thus to be run. 1t is
difficult TO conceive any convincing ground for
thus discriminating in favor of the horseless
vehicle and il is 10 be believed that the safety
of the public will best he served by making and
strictly enforcing uniform rule for both classes
of vehicles
There is, Of course, the humane plea that no
cruelty is involved in running horseless vehicle
at top speed, such as there may be In urging a
horse. But that is aside from the question.
The law regulates the speed of horses on the
streets not TO save the horses from cruelty but
10 save vehicles from collision and pedestrians
from being run down There would be no
cruelty in driving many horses along Fifth-ave.
at the rate of twenty miles an hour but there
! That danger does not seem TO he lessened by
removing the horse and putting n steam engine
or an electric motor in its place On the con-
trary, there is reason to think ii Is considerably
increased The weight of the vehicle is much
greater. which makes II the more deadly TO those
II runs over and the more destructive to that
with which it comes in collision. 1t has yet 10
be demonstrated that a motor can be steered
more surely and sharply or can he stopped more
quickly than horse. And there is to be set
down against the horseless vehicle the fact that
1T is governed by only one intelligence instead
of two. Let lis grant that the man who runs a
motor carriage is as intelligent as watchful and
as efficient as the man who drives horse Still.
the former vehicle lacks the supplementary and
by no means incOnsiderable intelligence and
watchfulness of the horse. Innumerable acci-
dents are averted every day by the horses
themselves. which check their speed or swerve
aside from their course 10 avoid things and
persons unnoticed by their careless drivers.
The horseless vehicle is fine invention.
doubtless destined to have widespread and
permanent use. But it has its limitations of
use, and il should have its limitations of speed
on the highway just the same as the horse
drawn vehicle There certain vehicles which
should be permitted TO run at high rate of
speed. Such are fire engines and ambu-
lances, because of the urgency of their errands
But all ordinary vehicles, whether for business
or pleasure, and whether propelled by motors
or drawn by horses. should be restrained within
a reasonable rate of speed, the maximum of
which should be the same to ALL And there
should certainly be provided an extra heavy
penalty for all men, whether engineers or
drivers. who on running over or against some
body put on extra speed to escape from being
called 10 account. That has occurred several
times OF late In cases of hOrseless vehicles 1t
would not be easy to make the penalty too
heavy for such an offender