Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-22
A. A. A. PRESIDENT TALKS
F., ON CUMBERSOME LAWS
DIR. Rowe Says the Now Too Many
Automobile Laws Should
BE Simplificd.
aUro ACCIDENTS .DEpLoKED
Claim Is Made That 30 Per Cent nf
All Accidents Result From Neglect
OF Individual pedest rians-IiOprs
for Uniform Traffic Laws.

WASHINGTON. ~. &. October eli
"Wc now have too much automobile
law. The next trend must be toward
The elimination OF all unnecessary re-
duiremcnts and tho enactment OF Il few
simple rules and regulations that may
he easily understood easily enforced
md. az nearly as possible. universally
observed. such an eliminat ton would
in many Instances do away with about
hree-fourihs OF our present laws"
President III. NJ. Rove. Of the Aneri.
can Automobile Association. thus sets
forth the present problem OF the motor
.car owner. Continuing. the head of
the national organization SAYS:
"Iiut traffic rules and regulations are
-yet Ia their formative period Much re-
mains TO be done before :tvoiiahlo ac-
riGcnts may be reduced 10 "a minimum
The PRINCIPAL difficulty is the unwll
lingness Of the public L" accept and
obey such rules and regulations. While
there has boon some change in its at
-t,ude within the last year or so. there
still remains an immense amount of
educational work before can hope
TO secUr" that Co-opcration from the
.puhlic which is necessary 10 the eff
ficicnt working out Of amy set Of rules
for thc road and the government OF its
tra;lic.
1T il needless ga say that the motor.
lists themselves dcplorc most kccnly the
steadily increasing number ~ accidents
and fatalities accustomed ny the use Of
the motor ear. but the people have not
yet com. 60 fully realz" thai these
accidents ar" the result OF negligence
on the par; OF til. public to observe the
simplest rules Of personal safety rathcr
than neglect on the part OF the motor
ist. The utter disregard Of his per
sornl safety shown by the average
individual when occupying tho public
highways is appalling.
j. ut - Il matter of undisputcd record
thar between 90 and -: per cent of
all the accidents tina; occur result from
the neglect OF the individual pcdcs-
trian. and less than ! pcr cen; are
caused by the direct fault Of the mo-
torist Or the reckless use OF the motor
car. Lying between these figures some.
where are from 3 10 ! per cent Of til.
accidents where both parties are re-
SponSiblt.
simple as i. may seem. q set al ;rtf-
fic rules ana regulations that will work
out III practice is not easy 10 pre-
pare. II follows that rules and rc.u-
lations which will work out are those
-tha: w'll permit vehicles and individ-
uals Ia move with the largest dcur..c
OF freedom without coming in contact
with each other. Through our logiSiH
tive board We have set about codifyinl;
may he easily understood ANA cntorc.
ed. We are hopeful that they will hc
generally adopted. OF course, there viii
he notifications in different Instances
and of course they will be- attended
by varying degrees OF success in thcii
enforcement and in promotines the pUr-
pose OF their enactment: but we believe
that substantial uniformity can be
established throughout the country.
With the fatalities caused 10y the
carclrsSncSs of motorists now reduced
10 less than > per cent Of the whole,
II the proper co-oncratiou OF no pub =
lie can lac secured. cannot we rca-
sonihly hope 10 reduce the 90 per ccn;
Of Fatalities attributable to the care
lcSSncss Of individuals to 9 per cent
in AMY event, Il limited number or nn-
avoi da Ole accidents will occur but il
docs not seem unreasonable that OF
chca 100 accidents occurring ninety
of ihrm may Inc avoided. surely such
q possibility should he :, sufficient In
ren,ive for putting forth our hest Of
forts"