Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-07-05

many serious and fatal accidents which
fill the newspapers almost daily will be
thing of the past and the highways Of
Maryland will be safe for everybody.
No person may now operate motor We
hicle without license. even for the pur-
pose Of receiving instruction. The new
law provides that everybody who operates
a motor vehicle must have license to do
so. Those learning to drive must obtain
an instruction license. This license costs 81
and is good for thirty days from the date Of
issue. At or before the expiration Of that
time persons who have an instruction Ii
cense must apply for the regular operators
or chauffeur's license. This does not mean
that one who has an instruction license
must necessarily wait for thirty days be-
fore he can obtain an operators or chauf-
fer's license but it does mean that within
thirty days he must make application for the
permanent license and demonstrate that
he is qualified 10 operate motor vehicle.
No person Is now licensed unless he first
passes an examination. The old law did
not contain any penalty for failing to carry
a registration certificate issued with the
tags. Under the present law the penalty
is from $40 to 500 for failing TO carry the
certificate Of registration, except in cases
where the provision is violated through in
advertence. In such cases the minimum
fine may be as low as 81. Another i'm
portant change made in the new law is
that requiring all motor vehicles to come
to a full stop not less than five feet from
the rear Of any street car headed in the
same direction which has stopped for the
purpose Of taking on or discharsing passen-
gers. The minimum fine for violating this
provision is SO This provision is now in
the State law for the first time and super
sedes all local ordinances and regulations
upon the same subject
In order to compel the proper enforce
ment Of the provisions dealing with sus-
pension and revocation OF operators Ii
censes, it Is provided in the new law that
any person whose license has been refused.
suspended or revoked and who operates a
motor vehicle shall be subject to fine Of
not less than 500 nor more $1,000 or to
imprisonment for not less than thirty days
or more than one year or to both fine and
imprisonment for the first offense.
A minimum fine Of IS is provided in
the case Of violations Of the section re-
quirine headlights and rear lights. This
penalty may seem severe to some people.
but when it is realized that just such
minor infractions Of the law may lead to
the most serious consequences for the
careless operator as well as for innocent
pedestrians the necessity for such PEN
atty is apparent. 1t is so easy to keep
the lights on a machine in proper condi-
ton that there is very little. il any, excuse
for not complying with the law. Many
have thought that the provision with re-
gard to lights was unimportsnt and that
carelessness and negligence with regard
or its observance has led on numerous
occasions to serious injury and even to
death.
Many sections Of the new law have
been made applicable both to the owner
as well as the operator. In past years the
chauffeurs have had to suffer. when, in
| fact. the offenders were their employers
We now have the means to get at the
persons who are really responsible for
violations Of the motor vehicle laws. and
the heavy penalties. including fines which
range up to $1,000 for the first offense and
TO jail sentences. will, In my Judgment, re-
suit in making the roads and highways OF
Maryland safe for everybody