The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-31
Motorists Expect
Many Freak Bills

the autonno biIistS of Connecticut for
their protection and the protection of
all others using the highways Of the
state, and in this article Mr.. Robin
son also calls attention to the evident
unfairness to autoists in taxation
methods and other matters:
There is not the slightest doubt that
the automobiles of the state will be
forced to meet large number Of
freak bills during this session Of the
Legislature. The present autom obiie
law is the result of twelve years of ex-
pertence and of building up an eQu1t-
a BILE, woodworking law, section by
section, as experience in Connecticut
and in other states has indicated
necessary additions. It is not the
work OF any one man, or of any one
session, but represents the combined
wisdom Of many men and the best
judgment of five legislative sessions.
1t is worthy of note that the same
men never return to Hartford asking
for revolutionary changes in the auto
mobile law after they have attended
the committee hearings, heard the ar
guments, and come to realizing sense
of the completeness of our present
law.
|; I do not know why it is but there
seems to be a. certain number Of men
who hate the automob and would, If
they could, put it out OF existence No
exaggeration Of statement is too ex-
trerne for them.
For example a few weeks ago an
article was published in the state pa
pers by a gentleman of this type. stat
ing that in the first ten months of
1912 seventy deaths had resulted in
Conn because our speed law is
inefficient. If you will go to the
headquarters in the secretary of states
office, where record is kept of every
accident which occurs in the State of
Ill a. bat
January 1st, 1919 and January 1st
1913, there were just hfty-four deaths
in Connecticut which were connected
in any way with autuonao bile. OF
the ffty-four fatalities several occur
red among firernen, when the appara-
tus on which they we're riding was run
into by street car or turned turtle
through skidding. AS fire appara-
tus is exempt from speed regulations
these deaths cannot be laid to the
working of the Law in regard to fast
driving.
over one-ha1f of the remaining ia
taIittes occurred among people who
were iT1dulging In joy rides. That an
intoxicated man attempts to drive his
car up a telegraph pole, off an en-
.bankment, Or through a bridge is not
the result of the ineff1ciency Of any
speed law. No matter what the law
is, men OF that class will continue to
do the same thing. OF the other half
of the fatalities. those occurring where
pedestrians were struck by auto
mobile or horse drawn vehicles were
in collision with autono biles, you will
find according to the sworn testimony,
both Of the prosecution and the de-
Tense, that only very few of these
autorn obiles were travelling at rate
of speed over fifteen miles an hour. In
the great majority of cases the auto
obile was moving at a moderate
speed and the pedestrian stepped
from behind a wagon and was struck
before he could get back or the di-
rection of the automobile could be
changed.
In a majority of the cases of COLI
sions between automobiles and horse
drawn vehicles the horse drawn We
hic1e was on the wrong side of the
road, or else the driver of the team
made a sudden turn without looking
to see whether any other vehicle was
behind him.
There were several cases in 1912
where the driver of the automobile
was reckless and was driving too fast.
These men are beyond any law and
the only way to deal with them is to
take away their license and prevent
their driving a car. The law in Con-
necticut at the present time in regard
to the revocation of licenses is the
most severe in the United States ana
facts warrant the penalty he can
practically prevent a man from ever
sitting at the wheel of car in Con-
necticut
That the Connecticut law is con-
sidered a model is shown by the fact
that since the law was placed on our
books some fifteen other states adopt
ed our speed regulations
Another shining example of the
lengths to which the hater of the au-
tomobi1e will go is shown by the ac-
ton of certain body of men who
met in New Haven some two months
ago. They appointed a committee to
take up the matter of changing the
automobile law and did it because
Connecticut has no speed limit at the
present time. the only restriction be-
ing that man must pay for the
damage he does" I wrote the pres
ident of this organization, explaining
to him that there is a very decided
speed limit in Connecticut which on
occasion would require a car to run
not faster than two miles hour. I
pointed out the unfairnesS of the po-
sition assumed by this association and |
requested that be granted permission |
to explain, either to his association as |
a whole or to his special committee, ]
the present automo biIe speed law.
That was some six weeks ago, and II
have not even received an acknowI- |
GUSei1leHC VI NY 7leCeol' AhIS serves 10 |
indicate the degree of fairness we /
must expect to meet in the bills pre-
sented to the legislature for the sup
preston of automo biles.
I could cite instance after instance |
of this kind but these will serve.
The Connecticut Automobile Asso- |
citation will probably have to fight |
some twenty-five or thirty freak bills |
before the legislature this winter. |
They will have to do with fixed speed |
limits, with the equipment of cars, !
with the use of horns on cars, with |
tie prohibition of the use of horns on |
cars, with the use of chains, and in |
fact with everything in or about or |
concerning an automobile. We hope
e.