The Washington times., 1917-10-08
COMMISSION
WILL REVISE
D. c. TRAFFIC
. REGULATIONS
Efforts to Reduce Number OF
Accidents Will Be Made at
Next Meeting of District
Board.
By BILL PRICE.

by ffkAOh.
Revision of the traffic regulations
of Washington will be undertaken by
the District Commissioners shortly
after the induction into office Of
w. Gwynn Gardiner, the new Com
missioner, but official opinion today
is that the recent wave of accidents
in this city is not due to defective
regulations and that there will be
comparatively few important changes
when the Commissioners have finally
acted.
Major Pullman, of the Police De-
partment, today stated that New
York and nearly every big city in the
country reports a great Increase in
deaths and wrecks from traffic acci-
dents. There has not been time to
analyze these strange physiological
facts, regarded by. many as mysteri-
Gus, but to practical minds accounted
for on the score of heavy increase In
all sorts of traffic, due to war activi-1
ties, and to employment OF q class OF
drivers and chauffeurs Of less re-
sponsibility than those formerly en-
gagged in this line of work.
Army Draws Men.
Thousands Of experienced and responsi-
bile street car motormen, automobile
motorists, and wagon drivers have gone
into the army or into more profitable
lines of employment The War Depart
ment has sought the services OF the best
chauffeurs and machinists to handle
motor vehicles. The places vacated by
all these men have been filled with per-
sons OF less experience, and whose
carefulness and responsibility have
not been tried out
In this city there has been q heavy
decrease in the use OF motor vehicles
this year, as shown by the number Of
automobile licenses issued for the
months Of June, July, August, and Sep
tember, as compared with the same
months OF last year. In these four
months Of 1916 the total number Of ma
chine licenses for which fees were paid
were 1882. For the same four months
Of this year the total paid licenses was
slSss. The Governments additional use
of machines Is shown in the figures OF
free licenses. Free tags for the four
months Of 1916 were a, and for the
same months this year 3o6.
Need of Educational Campaign.
Major Pullman believes that con-
slant education, repeated warnings
against carelessness OF drivers and
pedestrians, daily talks by fathers
and mothers to their children are all
essential for the lessening of serious
accidents. He has decided to use mo-
tion pictures among the school chill
dren of the city in the hope of keep
ing children out Of the dangers that
menace them almost every hour.
Sergeant Shelby, Of the traftic
squad, will be one Of the lecturers
sent among the children, but Major
Pullman is confronted by the fact
that he has no funds to purchase the
best reels for this campaign. Under
the law he cannot accept funds do
mated by public-spirited citizens, but
he could accept reels purchased by
them. He wants two particular reels,
The Price OF Thoughtlessness" and
Street Traffic Accidents" They
would Scost about $500 for the two,
and would be very helpful in the cam
paign, but unless somebody is good to
him he will have to do without them. |
A Tightening Up Of penalties
against premeditated violators of
speed laws is expected both in the
police court and in the police de- !
psrtment. It is out of the sphere !
o. the department to suggest to the /
judges OF the courts that speed devils |
and irresponsible gentry generally |
be dealt with more severely in the |
two judges Of tie court is that |
they will cooperate in every way pos
sfble TO decrease the number OF traf- |
hc accidents, especially in imposing |
heavy penalties upon excessive speed |
and utter disregard of the law and 1
rights OF others.
Frequent suggestions OF citizens is
that the. traffic policemen may help |
materially in the campaign against
accidents by devoting more OF their
time to the dangerous violators Of the /
law and less to technical violators /
who do not endanEer life, but happen !
TO run afoul OF some minor regula-
tion they are not familiar with.
No Speed Increase.
Until the heavy increase in acci-
dents recently there was a disposition
in police and official circles to permit
little more speed, when the traffic
regulations are revised, but today one
high official announced that there
would be no upward revision of the
limit IL he could prevent II. The limit
in business and thickly populated
residential sections has been twelve
miles an hour, with the police lenient
where the driver was not making
over seventeen miles. The twelve
mile limit will probably be retained.
The new Commissioner, Ar. Gard
liner, will sit at the hearing to be
given before changes are made. He
drives his own machine and has some
practical ideas to suR1est q O.