The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-25
VIOLATED THE AUTO LAW
NTOR OF TIIE -AtToNOBu D.
AND PERSONS WITH HIu
SHOULD HAVE TAKEN tAiIN
PREC4UTION AGAINST NICI-
DENT AND GIVEN ASSISTANCE

To the Editor:-Two years a@5.
believe. the Legislature passed
Act making it a misdemeanor for anv
one driving an automobil on tnN
public highways. or elsewhere. t. re-
fuse To stop his machine when meet
ing ane one driving along sa 4 hs4.-
way with teams. provided said drive
of teams signals for him To stop.
/ think said law a most excel rt
one. provided it goes far enough T..
embrace the point that | desire O.
make. to-wit:
Last Monday. while | and fami.
were dr. wing along the public high
way, We saw an automobile approach
ing. Knowing that my team was very
''scarey" of autos, when Nittta
IS or 100 yards, we gave the signals
for the party 70 stop the machine.
They stopped the machine prompt
and we drove past them, but Amos
Immediately after We passed thf-
started the machine, and YOU know
what q racket the t~reacherous thla51
make When starting off. The resull
was that the team became frightened
and ran away.
Well, some OF the occupants Of The
| vehicle that we were driving jumped
out, some fell out and the wheels
passed over them, but beyond a L"
| bruises and some broken harness there
was no ser. Gus damage.
Now. the point l wish to make -
this: Did the driver of that auto Vlo-
| late the law by starting his machine
before we got Il safe distance from
him? If he did not, then the law
is not worth the paper it IL written
on. | tn nix the travel ne public gen
orally would like to have the ABOVE
question answered..
In conclusion. will say that the
parties riding in the auto did not stop
to investigate or find out the eX ent
of the damage, but spec merrily on 10
meet their next victims.
Respectfully,
J. w. PAIR.
2. S.-From personal observation
am deeply Impressed with the neees-
sity for more stringent laws governing
driving autos over our pubic hlsh-
ways. 1 shudder now to think how
narrowly was aVcrted Il fr1ghttul acct
dent on Monday.
Knightdale, n. c.. April u.
On 1908 an Act was passed I"
regulate the use of motor vehicles on
public highways, and citizens may on
ia n q copy from the secretary o.
Safe. The law requires each auto
mobile to nave a registered number.
in large figures, at the back OF the
machine so it can be identified. The
low requires that a person operating
an snail stop II on SlShdi
from any one driving or leading q
horse or other draft animal. and =
requested shall cause the motor to
cease running and r-main noiselesS 50
long as shall be necessary to preVenE
accident and insure the safety Of 9TH
ers. A male person operating an
automobile, or any male person IN
the machine, is requested TO give per-
sonal assistance to prevent accidents.
In case of accident. the operator or
an automobile shall stop and give
such assistance as can be & ven. and
on request, shall give his name and
| address and number OF his machine.
+ mes and imprisonment are penalties
for violating the Act, jurisdiction with
magistrates.
The statement Of Mr.. Pair shows that
the law, which 8 an excellent one.
was violated by the person driving the
automobile and by those with him.
They should have stopped and kept
the motor noiseless while there Was
any danger of accident. Mr.. Pair,
if he remembers the number OF the
automobile. or the persons in ii, can
take legal action ito have them pun
iShed.-Editor.)