Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-04
LETTERS
DISREGARD OF LAW sY AUTO
DRIVERS @>s.

Editor Honolau star-BulIetin.
Sir: The utter disregard for the
rights, or even the lives of others. By
some OF the auto drivers Of this city
would seem u call for correction in
some manner.
When the automobile vas q luxury
| land ii was not so very long ago that
Ii was q curiosity special care was
given to keeping out o. is way. but
! since il has become q necessary adj
jnnct to the business Of tEr day, and
/ is seen scooting here and there, ped
estrians have grown TO feel a con-
tempt for 1t, or Al least no longer fear
II. : But the fact that We become ac-
Icustomed to danger" sign does not
lessen the danger.
With the advent of the automobile
as a business necesSc>y and pleasure
vehicle, comes the knowledge that in
the hands of an irresponsible person
en- auto may be capable of causing 4
vast amount Of Injury to life and prop
crty. This condition of affairs brought
about. the system OF registration and
the large nun Der plates with which
all autos are decorated, both front
and rear, as a means Of Identification.
This, to certain extent. answered
the purpose, bat there is much room
for improvement
An observer Of traffic will quickly
see that a majority of the number
plates are, for large part, undeciph-
cradle because they are smeared with
mud, dust and grease
! In the dim past there was law
enacted here which stated that at
night the rear number plate should be
so Illuminated that it could be easily
read, yet in the majority of cases the
rear plates are lost from view in a
dense shadow Of eDcircling extra tires.
etc, or are so poorly lighted that II is
not quite but almost impossible to
read them at 90 feet distant.
This, OF course. is due not to any
| fault of the system Of Identification,
but to the Indifference OF those APP
pointed, elected and paid to enforce
the law. -.
| A penalty for removing or conceal
ing a number plate in order to evade
Identification is provided, and It is
just possible that local conditions
would be improved, or at least some
what remedied, by applying the same
penalty to drivers of cars bearing I'M
intelligible plates. .>@@
Admitting the inefficacy Of the
number plate system as a means Of
Identification, the police departments
OF several large cities on the main
land have established schools for
training traffic officers In the charac-
teristic features Of various makes of
cars. The Officers quickly become
proficient in,..naming the make" of
car passing. even at considerable
distance, end especially after Clark,
and ii is said That this scheme is max
ing good in. ,ydnking up ,apto fiends
who disregard speed laws and with
means OF Identification not legible.
| Another delinquency that is too fire.
QHently met With on our streets. after
dark Is the absence OF tail lights.
fuse nay machine on an average OF
three times during every week after
dark, and am not exaggerating when
state that in travelling King street
on these night trips it Is an exceptions
al one when / do net observe from
one to three machines minus tail
lights -. - -.
| Whose fault'ris it? l..-. " Il
| r. T. br%"" TOM MERLE.