The Washington times., 1906-01-24
Autoists Up in Arms
Over Nev Speed Bill
President DuvaIl, of the Auto Club, Declares
possible to Obey-Adopt French Law.

/ delight Imagine some Of our Repre-
sentatives or Senators sent 70 th-
workhoUse FOR ten DAYS or year1
But, TO be serious. think of some one
Of our citizens, who should happen 10
forget the south building line Of Goat
alley and exceed the prescribed limit
OF speed, being sent up for thirty DAYS.
Simply great,
we are yet IN our swaddling clothes
so far as building and operating auto
mobiles are concerned. and such couu-
tries as France, which is as far ahead
Of as IS could well be imagined in lhls
respect, have long since abandoned
laws on speed, or practically So as 4
am Informed. and specify simply that
the speed shall not exceed thirty-fvC
miles per hour but al no time shall b.
dangerous II Is most gratifying 90
note that ia this city accidents 90 pe-
destrians from automobiles have been
/ very very scarce, more 80 perhaps,
than IN any other city and ia a ma
Jority Of cases where they have hap
pened al all they have not been serious
and have been caused by the nesli-
gence. or cOHtrihut0ry negligence, OF
the pedestrian.
Few Accidents.
81 cannot recall where single suit for
damages received from an automobile
has been successful in our courts and
the popular and wholly uncalled for
prejudice that exists against this most
useful invention. II any jury ever had
a chance 10 give il 10 an automobile
good and hard. the opportunity would
not be wasted. Regardless OF our laws
as we have them or as they may here
after exist. nothing-certainly no law
will prevent occasional accidents. Only
extreme personal care both upon the
part Of the automobile driver and the
pedestrian can ever accomplish this
much desired state.
The care of the driver alone Will
avail nothing. the public must cooper
ate. or without such cooperation, "a
maximum speed Of three miles per hour
under all conditions. would occasionally
result in accidents Then there Is an
other side 10 the question. Tests have
shown. and II Is universally admitted.
that automobiles are less menace on
our streets than the horse In fact. that
the automobile is less q menace than
the horse even when the former Is drlV-
en- at twice the rate II speed or the late
ter Then. II this be true, how unreas-
ona ble is II that the automobile j. SO
restricted ia its speed2
Horses More Dangerous.
IF the automobile can be stopped in
half the distance OF horse. why is g.
that q horse can 20 eight miles an hour
and the automobile twelve in some
cases. six in others, and four iu stiIl
others? There is q larger Ter -ertaEe
OF accidents from horses than from
automobiles. then why all these rezJrlc-
tons about the automobile cnly2 Uz-
doubtedlv fl is simply the result Of
prejudice born OF ignorance and some
thing tine alone vii overcome and
eradicate. but until that time the auto
mob.Hsts must band together fer mt
tual protection.
such measures as are proposed BIZ
the bill referred 10 should be promptly
stihed and not treated with the dignity
Of a reasonable law, as IT. is absolutely
without rhyme OF reason. I am rather
inclined 90 she belief that this measure
Was introduced IN Congress without
the sanction Of our Commissioner
say this not in view Of any denials up
on their part, FOR I have not mentioned
the matter To any one Of them. bu- 7
male the statement merely from my ia
miliarity with their policy as they
have from time TO time made public.
The French Plan.
If the author of this proposed bin
desires-to do something good both for
the pedestrian and the automobiles. let
him introduce a law which dXes the
speed at, say, fifteen or twenty miles
per hour, with the further proViso that
nothing in the law shall be construed
TO permit an automobile TO be driven al
a dangerous rate Of speed. Such a law
would be easonabIe. in that il would
compel the driver 10 govern his speed
in accordance with the surrounding cir
cumstances. Under our present laws
and the one proposed, a driver can 90
no faster at . o'clock in the morning
than he can at j o'clock in the day
The UnreasonabIeness of this is appar-
ent 10 every faiT-minded person"