The Washington herald., 1916-02-27

ChardC1er1LlnR Inc tOCAi hAhahS sp~NN
as arbitrary, unusual and I'M
necessary, Charles Francis Wood, Of the
Fendall Building. consulting civil and
engineer and close student OF
traffic problems, has written to Maj. Z,
w. Kutz, U. S. A, District Engineer
Com missioner, urging that the law De
amended so as TO permit any speed that
would be reasonable and prudent under
the circumstances
Mr.. Wood also offers a suggestion TOT
the solving of the problem caused by con-
gestion due to the parking of automo-
biles In the busy downtown sections. Mr..
Wood points out that interior courts
might be provided in each block for use
as parking places.
''it seems to me that II may almost be
stated as an axiom OF traftic that speed
shall be reasonable and proper under the
conditions and circumstances TO nx
satisfactorily the limits more dehnftely
than This appears to me to be well nign
impossible and this view is In agreement
with the opinions of some of the aoiest
trafnc experts In the country. as Is EVIL
denced by the regulations in New YORK.
Philadelphia and other large cities where
there is no set limitations to the speed
but where reckless driving is punished 10
the limit and an accident Is mace per Sc
the evidence of reckless driving on the
part OF the one respOnsiOls hhSiSAA'
Usage Elsewhere.
80 generally is it coming to be regard
ed that the terms reasonable and proper
express the meaning of the law that they
are actually used in the regulations or
twenty-six Of our states, and in four OF
the Canadian provinces on which l nave
received reports, while in twelve other
States the words reasonable and pru-
dent appear, so that in forty-two out OF
fifty-three reports reasonable and pro-
per- or other words synonymous are the
controlling language.
Some Of these, 1t Is true, are qualineo
by limits varying from fifteen to thirty
miles in certain localities. but many are
without qualifications. and these are
coming to be regarded more and more
as models. At recent meeting OF the
International Association of Police Chiefs
a regulation was recomm ended FOR adop-
ton as follows:
mo speed limit shall be fixed for We
hicles of any kind, but all vehicles shall
be driven carefully with due regard fol
| the safety and convenience Of ali otheI
vehicles and pedestrians. Nothing herein
stated or omitted herefrom shall be con
| strued or held to relieve any person Of
vehicle, using or travelling. or being upor
any road for any purpose whatever iron
| the exercise of all reasonable care tc
avoid or to prevent injury through col
nsion with all other persons or vehicles.
Not for Reckless. Driving.
This suggestion OF regulation does no
contemplate and I do not make an ap
peal for, reckless driving, unwsrrante'
speed or disregard for the rights Of pc
destrians or others on the streets: on th'
contrary, l yield to no one in my posi-
tive opinion that the driver of a ca
should give a reasonable right of way 4
everything else on the road and particu
larly the pedestrian, and the horse, 10
he has at his command in the moderl
car the most flexible means OF transpor
! tation yet evolved by the mind of man
and can in almost an instant check it
speed or double it with scarcely an ef
fort
"A priori he should use this power an
flexibility to promote the welfare an
convenience OF those around him, an
not to the damage and detriment of thei
interests.
ITO my mind the fixing of twelve mile
per hour as the limit OF speed over
large area Is archaic. unreasonable, an
clogs the police court with cases whic
should never reach there. creates polio
records for persons entirely undeserivn
of them, causes loss OF time and expens
to individuals and to the public, not wal
ranted by the so-called misdemeanor.
also breeds contempt for law, and a.
! complishes nothing of good except pc,
sibly to fill a depleted police pensio
fund.
Technical Violations Only.
From a great deal Of observation,
J am satisfied that a large majority Of III
cases of alleged speeding with which ii
Police Court Is daily crowded are techn
cal violations only, of an arbitrary, VI
usual and unnecessary speed limitation
! and that neither individual nor the publ
=, would have suffered II there had new,
I been an arrest in most OF these cases.
: Assuming for the sake of argumel
!, that twelve miles per hour is a prop,
II limit OF speed on F street northwest
elsewhere in the business center. and
, experienced person win say that It is Il
high, except momentarily at certa
e places, does It not follow that II is Z
absurd limitation to say that such
speed shall not be exceeded out on
: street or on Colum bia road northwest?
Or per contra, IL 1t is claimed tn
twelve miles Is the limit which cam
be safely exceeded on s street or Harva
street northwest, does 1t not follow tn
. such a speed Is reckless In r street?
n believe most disinterested people won
say that the premise being granted, It
II q logical deduction.
l. Frequently 1t happens in driving tn
. a short burst of speed Is the way
safety and shows good judgment on I
70 part Of the driver. There are plac
e where twenty-five miles or more is 50
and reasonable, and other places whe
e four miles an hour is reckless, and {
u conditions change sometimes with X
eidoscopic rapidity, The automobile h
q been built for these conditions, and pt
n fetced until in the hands of a compete
-e operator responds to changes within su
% limits in a few feet of distance, and
re almost imperceptibie time.
a. "If our low speed limit accomplish
anything that II is supposed to do, in I
II way of making our streets safer. IL
IL eliminated the joyrider and the spe
1t maniac, there might be some groun
lie for defending and maintaining II. E
It does not; the joyrider still joyrit
n irrespective of the regulations, and I
+ drink or speed-crszy fool still caret
to down the highways in defiance Of them
Majority of Sufferers.
lie Neither is troubled by the limit. a
er neither would be eliminated were {
he limit set at six miles instead of tive
a. miles ner hour The majority ~ q