Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-02-28
Automobile Accidents and Lssis'
lation.


Iation.
According to figures compiled by the
Chicago Tribune from news reports, 324
persons were killed outright by automo-
biles in the United States last year, and
1874 were seriously injured. The 1905
figures were 200 killed outright and S51
injured-showing for 1907 remarkable
increase in the number of casualties. AS
Ill deaths " ere caused by automobiles in
this state alone during the three summer
months of last year, the New York Herald
concludes that the Chicago Tribune's fig
ures for the whole country are very in
complete and fail to show the full damage
to life and limbactually inflicted last year.
| That is no doubt the case, but as they
stand the figures are rather appalling,
and the danger is rapidly increasing from
year to year.
That automobiles, as well as the pub
lie generally, are awakening to this dan
ger is evidenced by the introduction in
the Massachusetts Legislature of at least
10 bills designed to bring the operation of
these machines under closer restriction
and reckless operators into more certain
punishment. Most of these measures
have been prepared or presented by the
Safe Roads automobile association, which
is representative of the reasonable inter-
ests of owners of these machines. Most
important of these bills is one providing
for the appointment of not more than
four persons with powers of police off
GERS to act under the state highway COM
mission as investigators of automobile
accidents. 1t is further provided that
the license of an operator who has caused
! the death of person shall be at once
SUSPENDED and later revoked unless it APP
pears on investigation that no serious
| fault is attributable to him-the said Ii
cense not thereafter to be renewed except
in the discretion of the commission. The
commission is also empowered to sus-
pend the license of any operator who is
considered incompetent or careless.
The important provision is that creating
state investigators of automobile acct
dents, acting under the authority of the
highway commission. 1t is the conten-
ton of officers of the Safe Roads associa-
ton that the chief weakness of the pres
ent system of public regulation lies in the
fact that the highway commission has
little or no initiative power, and there
are those who say it is altogether too lem
lent even in the few cases which are
forced upon its attention by formal COM
plant. The creation of special accident
investigators is designed to remedy this
defect and provide way for bringing to
the formal attention of the commission
all serious accidents and infractions of the
law, and compelling some action in rela-
ton thereto. These special police Ulcers
will thus become in way public COM
plainants before the commission, and
| through their activities every serious &C
cident or discovered case of reckless OPP
nta ion, xxrtll eta a N
commission
This seems to be desirable enactment.
1t appears to meet a grave defect in the
existing plan of regulation. AT the same
time we must not lose sight of the evil
dent need of closer or more fearless en-
| forcement of the criminal laws of the
state in relation to the reckless and often
killing use of the public highways. 1t is
a matter of record says the New York
Herald, that over 100 persons have been
killed by automobiles in around that city
within the past three years, and over
three times that number injured; "and if
any one has yet served out a sentence in
Jail for even the most wantonly reckless
driving, resulting in death or injury to
others, the case has escaped the attention
of horsemen."
We cannot deal effectively with the
evil in question merely by revoking Ii
censes to operate machines, which IL
censes may be later reissued; nor will the
autoists back of this proposed legislation
contend otherwise. Reckless driving
which results in the death of any one
makes a case of granddaughter which
must be dealt with as such, and a few
convictions and punishments to fit the
crime will have more SOLDERING effect
than any number of license suspensions.
Springfield Republican.