The Washington herald., 1910-12-11
TINE IS RIPE FOR CHANGE.
Old Regulations and Laws should
he Thoroughly Revised.

Old Regulations and Laws should
he Thoroughly Revised.
Automobile Editor The Washington Herald.
What do l think Of the regulations for
motor cars in the District? I would say
there is a chance for Improvement
In the first place, I think the present
regulations would be all right for five
or six years ago. but not for the pres
ent time, and that is what We are deai-
ing with now.
The following are the reasons why I
think so:
Five or six years ago. the motor car
was a novelty and luxury, to-day 1t IS
a necessity and universally used. Take
Washington for example, you VIII find
more motor cars than horse-drawn We
hicles on the street The motor ear to-
day is so perfect and simple to control,
there is less danger of an accident with
it than a horse-drawn vehicle. Drive a
horse at the rate of six miles an hour.
and see how hard it is TO stop it; while
You can drive a motor car at the rate Of
fifteen miles an hour, and stop within a
space of three or four feet.
To sum up the whole thing. you can
handle a motor car much better than
you can horse.
Getting back to the police regulations
in the District when / said they could
be improved upon, do not wish to cast
any reelection on the police department.
because / realize it is a hard matter TO
deal with. ! have heard some people
say that police prosecuted the motorist.
and did everything they could TO make
III anything but pleasant to drive a ear.
Nov ! do not agree with them. great
many restrictions placed on the motorist
have been brought about by the motor
lists themselves. or / should say. some
OF the motorists, as the greater number
suffer by the acts OF a few. The police
department is between the devil and the
deep blue sea, as some reckless. or shall
we say, Incapable driver. or, maybe both.
causes some accident, and a howl goes
up from the general public, and the no
lice have to impose some regulation on
the motorist to satisfy these people who
are unquestionably entitled to consId-
Grafton.
Personally. I think the City of London.
the largest city in the world, has solved
the speed question. They used to have a
Nl'DOU A+Ail u twenty miles an hour in
the city, and also in the country About
three years ago they took off the speed
limit in the city, and now you can drive
as fast as you like, but the police have
orders TO arrest anybody driving to the
danger OF the public, and they do not
take advantage of their privilege.
Now, what Is the result? They have
fewer accidents in one year in the City
of London than we have In Washington
IN one month. Why? Because the driv-
eFs are more careful. and they know
that If they drive to the danger of the
public whether it be four or twenty
miles an hour. they will suffer for II
Twenty miles an hour is not fast for a
motor car. and have il under perfect
control, and I. for one would like to see
the speed limit taken off, as II is in the
largest cities in the world OF course
there are other things regarding traffic
regulations that would help eliminate
accidents. such as having police on
duty al street crossings 10 regulate
traffic, and not let half dozen street
cars so in both directions at once. Also
stop roller skating in the streets; or, in
other words, do not allow them TO be
used as Fairgrounds.
If q few of these things were done.
pedestrians would soon wake up to the
fact that the roads are built for vehicu-
lar traffic. and they viii stop, look, and
listen as the railroad sign says. before
crossing the road. r. c. SIBBAI.D,
Manager Zen Motox Car Company.