Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
SAYS MANY MOTOR LAWS
PUZZLE TRAINED LAWYER
Chairman of A. A. A. Legislative
Board Recites Benefits of Uni
form Regulations.

MANY of our motor vehicle laws are
so complex that even a trained lawyer
has difficulty in understanding them.
and the ordinary 1ayman gives up the
task as hopeless" comments Chairman
Osborne l. Yellott Of the A. A. A. legis-
lative board in the Introductory Of the
uniform traffic law which the national
organization of motor car owners will
offer to it's members for adoption in
their respective states.
THE fundamental principle as to the
use of the highways is that every one
should be permitted the greatest pos
sible freedom which is consistent with
the rights of others continues Mr..
Yellott, who then goes on to say:
consequently every person employing
a vehicle which may cause injury TO
others, unless reasonable care Is used.
should be compelled by positive pro-
visions of the law, rigidly enforced, 10
employ degree of care commensurate
with the risk involved to others under
each particular condition which may
arise. At the same time he should not
be bound down and hampered by
minute restrictions not reasonably nee
essary for the protection of other high
way users.
Precautions Against Accident.
For these reasons fixed speed limits
and other similar arbitrary require
ments are omitted, and for them has
been substituted q series of rules of the
road in the more important of which
we provide, in effect. that wherever
there is reason to apprehend injury
to others, the person in charge Of the
vehicle shall take especial precautions
to see that such injury does not occur.
Under this theory each situation which
arises must make it's own law. That
law is, wherever there is danger Of
accident you must avoid it.
at must follow. also, that the en-
forcement of the law should be rational.
The provisions relating to arrest, bail,
trial appeal, etc, should provide for
the prompt apprehension and punish
ment of offenders, but at the same time
should be framed with due regard to
the fact that the great majority of
violators of our road traffic laws are
not in the category Of common thieves.
pickpockets, burglars. murderers. etc.
Therefore special facilities should be
such cases without unreasonable hard
ship TO the offenders.
For Graduated Penalties.
I'm the matter of penalties an effort
has been made to graduate the punish
ment to the nature Of the offense. The
fines generally range from 81 to 800.
Where the offense is merely technical,
or inadvertent or accidental, provision
is made for a minimum nominal fine.
But where the violation of the law is
deliberate, or where an accident results
FROM such violation, it is provided that
the maximum fine may be imposed.
The suspension or revocation of
licenses Is provided for fragrant VIOLA
lions of some sections Of the law by
operators OF motor vehicles.
The uniform traffic law is not sub
mitted as in any sense the final word in
traffic legislation. Traffic conditions on
our highways are changing almost
daily with the great increase in the
the motor truck. Hence traffic regula-
ltions must necessarily. for a long while
yet to come. be largely experimental.
Old ideas Of regulations, which have
stood the test Of actual experience I'M
der modern conditions, should be re-
tanned. Those which have been tried
and found to be failures must be cast
aside. New ideas must be substituted
for these latter. Such new ideas must
in turn be put to the test Of actual ex-
perience. If they prove successful they
will be retained. If they prove to be
failures they will have to give place to
still newer IDEAS"