The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-06-11
MOTORISTS USE
CITY STREETS AS
PUBLIC RACE TRACK
ARRESTS ARE BEING MADE IN
EFFORT TO STOP FAST
AND RECKLESS DRIVING

A campaign to make the streets
safer for the pedestrian and also for
the motorist is under way among the
officials of this city and number of
people have geen picked up for fast
and reckless driving in excess of the
speed established by the city ordi-
nance on the streets of this city.
More are on the list of candidates for
arrest unless they take caution and
slew down.
George Knowles, of Ionia, was pick
ed up Sunday and on Monday paid up
his fine and costs. Two unidentified
cars were going south on Bridge
street Sunday afternoon about four
o'clock and were making all of 35
miles per hour in an apparent effort
to see which one Aof them could reach
the end of the pavement first. Officers
and other people who witnessed the
fast driving are attempting to find
out the names Of the parties in the
machines and if they can they will
be arrested.
The idea seems to become prevalent
in the minds of some of our autoists
as soon as they strike the south
Bridge street pavement, that 1t was
built for speedway and that it ought
to be tried cut and accordingly they
strike out at speed that endangers
the life of not only those people who
might attempt to cross the street, but
children who might run out into the
street for missed ball or plaything
and the people who peacefully use
the sidewalks alongside of these race
tracks. No driver cf an automobile
is so absolutely certain of his machine
that he can guarantee it will not
leave the road and usually when it
does leave the road someone gets
hurt. While no serious accidents are
reported as result of local speeding
several close calls have been exper-
fenced and it is really a wonder that
some one has not been injured.
Several cases where men driving
automobiles while intoxicated have
recently come to grief have appeared
recently and in two incidents one of
the men in the affair died. Joseph
Watzenauer, of Grand Rapids, died
as a result of riding in a car, the driv-
er cf which was intoxicated. The
car overturned near the Ottawa Ave.
police station and watznauer got his
neck broken when he was thrown from
the machine. Every man in the auto
was intoxicated and the speed they
were hitting was something reckless.
1t cost life.
A man named Vanderweg, of Rock
ford, while driving his auto at high
rate cf speed on the Plainfield road
west of the Grand River Country
Club, on Sunday afternoon crashed
into a tree and the machine was de-
molished, his skull was so badly frac-
tured that it was said that it was i'm
possible for him to live. His COM
painon was also seriously injured but
he will recover. They were intoxi-
Gated and reserve supply Of whiskey
was found in the wreckage.
A young fellow named Henry Fill
kins, of Grand Iapids, while driving
his car going west of this city took
spill and while he did not get hurt
himself, his machine was quite badly
damaged and he was arrested and
lodged in the local Jail on charge of
driving an automobile while intoxi-
Gated. He entered plea of not gull
ty when arraigned in Justice Lap
hams court at first but Tuesday when
he again appeared he changed his plea
to guilty and paid a fine. Of $50 and
costs. ne
The habit of speeding must stop
before some one gets hurt. If after
fair warning the speeder still insists
on using the streets for joy riding
race track, there should be arrests
made to stop the dangerous practice.
The officers of the city should have
the hearty cooperation of every ci-
tizen in suppressing reckless driving.