Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-07-20
DRIVING AN AUTO.

- Pine Bluff can boast of it's full quota of automobiles and they are still com ing. Few cities the size of this one has as many fine cars It also en- joys a goodly number of sensible drivers, but it cannot boast of it's "epeed maniacs' and hot blood young Americans who Hike to go' and who continue to endanger lives of pedes trians and their own There are sew cral young men in this city who, in- slst on making the night unbearab1e by racing through the streets with their noise making cars, and who have no consideration whatever for those who would rest.
 Mayor Simon Bloom and Chief of Police Stewart have warned auto driv- CTS regarding this practice and they insist that it must stop. They have made up their minds that these young men do not want to be dealt with kindly, but harshly, and arrests will follow within the next day or two.
 The majority of Pine Bluffs auto mobilists are careful drivers, consid- crate to degree and cooperate to create a good sentiment towards the automobile and it's owner. But all that they do in obeying the traffic laws and all they try to do in induce ing others who are not so thoughtful to do to obey them, is undone by the reckless abuse of the city traffic laws and peace preserving ordinances. The average automobile owner wants to obey the law and enforce the traffic ordinances to the letter and they are insisting on the authorities arresting and punishing those who eo not.
 People are not thinking seriously enough about automobile accidents. "The papers are full of them," is the comment and little thought is taken beyond the remark. The papers are full of them, indeed, and there are hundreds every week, possibly every day, that are not reported at all, says the Fort Smith outhwest-American
 The industry has developed with euch enormous rapidity, that in spite cf the countless number of machines we see on every street and highway, we do not believe our eyes. It is al- most impossible to comprehend the extent to which automobiles are used Worse than this, is the failure of driv- CTS to understand the terrible power they are trying to control, and the ter rife menace to human life that lies in their failure to control it.
 To the driver it is hard to under stand the speed at which he is going. Only the most timorous, or excessively cautious people, drive slowly enough to have their cars under perfect con trol. They glide deceivingly through the streets, shoot. devilishly around corners and plunge suddenly out of alleys. One can hardly walk down town for half an hour without seeing a narrow escape, at least from injury. There never was time in the history Of cities when a participant in a dangerous pastime was so helpless, or so dangerously exposed to unforeseen peril.
 If the pedestrian, who is learning to be more alert, is in such constant danger, what of the people who criv1 and ride. A report just issued by the secretary of state of New York con. yeys the astounding information tha seventy five automobile accidents now occur in that state every day.
 1t is apparent that there must b. more stringent regulation of automo bile traffic, and the manufacturers and sellers Of machines should under