Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06
POINTS FOR THE
MODEL MOTOR LAW
IDENTIFICATION OF OPERATOR
ESSENTIAL
Authority Believes There Should Be
Law to Prevent the Estab-
llshment of Speed
Traps

NEW YORK, Sept. 5.--In view Of the
fact that several states are contem-
plating changes in their automobile
laws for the purpose of stopping reck-
less driving over public highways and
at the same time giving the reasonable
motorist his just dues. an interview
with Walter S. Schultz, counsel for the
Connecticut Automobile association and
the man who drafted the present Con-
necticut automobile law, which is con-
sidered a very sane statute, is timely.
Limitation of speed" said Mr..
Schultz while at the headquarters of
the American Automobile association,
437 Fifth avenue, New York, was the
sole purpose of our earlier statutes;
next the Identification of the car was
considered of Importance, then the
control and responsibility of the indi-
vidual operator became the main OBJ
ject of the law. The time is not far
distant, in my opinion, when revenue
will be the chief if not the sole reason
for automobile legislation. The fact
that high powered cars seriously injure
the roads makes it necessary to collect
an ample revenue from automobilists
and apply this to the maintenance of
present roads and the new ones.
"There are four points which the
model law must cover, viz: Proper
Identification, control of operator, reck-
less driving provisions and a clause
which will prevent the establishments
of traps where the law-abiding motor
lists are caugt on technical violations
and through which the speed maniacs
easily escape in their high-powered
machines.
my personal opinion is that the eX-
animation of drivers, either profession
al or amateur. avails nothing and Is
only a needless expense to the state.
Indeed, I believe statistics will bear
me out when I say that the great ma
jority of accidents result from the
reckless driving of experts rather than
from the ignorance of novices. do not
think we should make any distinction
between private operators and profess
sional chauffeurs. No reasonable per-
son is going to engage a chauffeur un-
til he is satisfied that the applicant
can operate a car. and If the chauf-
feurs license is annual, while the anna
teurs is good until revoked, the owner
will pay the fee In both cases. With a
proper minimum age limit 1t seems to
me perfectly safe to license any appli-
cant with the proviso that his license
will be revoked If he proves himself in
any way unworthy of the privilege
granted.
Public sentiment Is opposed to all
forms of highway robbery. and in nine
cases out of ten a speed trap Is oper-
ated for no other purpose than to catch
driver and hold him for technical
violation. Each day it is becoming
more apparent that the true test of
proper operation is to determine the
speed at particular time and to take
into consideration the width of the
highway, the amount of traffic and the
number of pedestrians and the houses
along the highway.
"The Connecticut law, which has
proved very satisfactory to all classes
| of citizens and to visiting as well as
resident motorists. provides that no
person shall operate a motor vehicle
on the public highway recklessly or at
rate of speed greater than is reason