Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-12
FEDERAL TRAFFIC
| ACT IS ADVOCATED
w. P. Emo Discusses "Gen-
! eraI Regulations" in First
| of Series of Articles.
STUDIES CONDITIONS HERE

A federal traffic act. applying to all
states of the country, the District OF
Columbia. post roads and territories, is
advocated by William 7. Emo, chairman
of the District of Columbia highways
transport committee. Mr.. Emo is to
give expert attention to traffic conditions
in the District and he has prepared
series Of articles on traffic regulation. of
which this is the first in part prepared
for the highways transport committee
of the Council of Natioral Defense.
Recognized as Expert.
Mr. Emo is recognized as a traffic ex-
pert. Paris has adopted his advanced
views on highways traffic regulat lions
conformity thereto. Mr.. Emo was active
in connection with the organization OF
the first traffic squad in the city of New
York and instrumental in bringing
about traffic regulations of that city.
The first subject he takes UP for dis
cussion is that of General Regula-
tons" He declares that it can be
brought about by both drivers and
pedestrians using. reasonable. printed
regulations to be enforced when
necessary under legal authority.
''The education of drivers and pedes-
TRANS is the keynote to effective and
economical traffic regulations says
Mr.. Emo. wherever brief. clear and
reasonable regulations have been
sufficiently distributed traffic has been
easily handled. On the contrary, where
this has not been the case proper
regulation has been practically impos-
sible.
Sees Need of Uniformity.
Ito obtain the best results. believe.
Ga
traffic act, although the same object
can be accomplished slowly by one
state enacting scientific traffic act
and other states following until our
aim: uniformity, has been attained
"If, however. the United States gov
eminent would pass 4 federal traffic
act results could be obtained much
more expeditiously. The act should
apply to the District of Columbia, to
the territories and to all post roads.
1t would then, without interfering
with state rights, become national,
since no vehicle could travel on a
post road which did not comply with
the federal act"
New York regulations. he adds,
contain everything essential for the
largest city. and nothing superfluous
for the smallest village"
In their present revised form, he
explains, they are ready for standard
ixation.
To preserve uniformity in traffic
laws, Mr.. Emo recommends that no
changes be made by unauthorized per-
sons or committees, but that each
state through its highway commission
should suggest changes when neces-
sary and present them through dele
gates to the national highway traffic
regulation commission, appointed by
the President of the United States,
with power limited entirely to the
adoption or rejection of suggested
changes.
until a federal traffic act can be
enacted it would be well for all cities
and towns to revoke existing ordi-
nances on traffic and in. their place
pass the following simply worded pro-
vision:
.rhe police department. or in a.
town which has no police depart
ment, the board of selectmen. town
manager or other proper authorities
are hereby authorized, empowered
and ordered: To adopt and enforce
the standard highway traffic regula-
tions and to direct. control and regu-
late and, when necessary, divert or
exclude in the interest of public
safety, health and convenience the
movement of pedestrian, animal and
yehicular traffic of every kind on
Highways. in parks and on bridges"
-should be obtainable at police sta
tions and distributed by policemen to
offenders. They should be distributed
to transportation companies and
plAcards should be posted up in all
public stables, garages and other
suitable places.
Realize the Value.
sRealizing the value Of traffic regu-
lztion such as is in force in New York
city, many other cities" Mr. Emo con-
tfnues, delegated individuals or COM
mittees to formulate regulations
usually these were unwisely put in
the form of an ordinance instead of
police regulations). Those to whom
this task was delegated, with few ex-
ceptions, not content to profit by ex-
perience, appear to have been actuated
by desire to originate and satisfy a
pride Of authorship.
The result Is that while almost
everything Of value has been culled
from the New York regulations, they
ment and rewording and by unimpor-
tant interpretations and important omis-
sionS that they are not only non-uni-
form. but confusing and much too long
the set for one unfortunate city, for
example, and containing over $500
words. lacking both sequence and or
der.
The study of traffic regulation with
view 10 further improvements should
ne encouraged, but under no circum-
stances to the extent of allowing in
experienced persons to disarrange and
confuse thoroughly tested regulations.
The regulation of highway traffic
mas grown to be almost an exact