Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-19
COMMUNICATIONS
October, 49, 1918.
Editor Journal:

Editor Journal:
Dear Sir:-How much longer is AL
buquerque going to allow fatal auto
mobile accidents to occur without any
attempt being made to enforce the
very adequate traffic ordinances now
at the command of the authorities?
There appears to be two very diff
ferent views held regarding the cause
of traffic accidents, one being that
speed is not dangerous and the other
that speed is the real cause of all ia
tai accidents to pedestrians,
Some time ago a very prominent
citizen of this community was arrest
ed for speeding and in the course OF
the trial he propounded the theory
that speed has nothing to do with the
chance of accident, that skillful
driver had greater control of his car
at high speed than less skillful one
at low speed.
The city authorities seem to have
accepted this theory, hence the utter
disregard paid TO the speed limit right
on your busiest streets.
You have a traffic policeman at the
corner of Second and Central, Dut
what good is that If you allow the trat-
fic regulations to be broken at every
| other intersection in the city?
| 1t has been proven by comparison
| In some of the large cities that strict
| examination Of applicants for drivers
| licenses is not productive OF fewer accl-
dents over the cities that are not as
strict in allowing licenses.
Such being the, case 1t is seH-eVl-
| dent that the most dangerous driver
| is the one whose complete mastery OF
| the car has made him or her careless
and reckless on the road,
The man who gets injured by hlgh
explosives is invariably the man who
has become careless through Ions
handling of potentially dangerous
| material.
Unfortunately the careless speedster
| of an automobile onA city street Is
comparatively safe himself, but
deadly peril to the pedestrian.
The only way to make careiessnef'
| dangerous to the automobile driver Il
to enforce the traffic laws by botf
| Imprisonment and fine, regardless o.
! whether he is a prominent citizen oil
a delivery boy, and revocation oil M
license either permanently or unit
such time as he has learned the les
sorf that the rights of his felloWs mus
/ DE DfOJtCleu anu iNSpSNNSN'
The last fatal accident occurred TINS
morning, and / understand that the
coroner,s jury, after viewing the re
/ mains of this latest victim of the non
enforcement of the city ordinances
has recommended that drastic meas
ures be taken for the protection OF the
people who have to use the streets o.
| this city.
NV name happening to be the SAME
as that horne by the victim of this
| mornings tragedy. prompted me tc
1 write this letter, as it came home very
| forcibly to me that it might just 81
| reasonably have been my little CIR
| as that of another, and as long as TIT
| automobile drivers of this city are no
| checked every parent in this commun
! ify will be in constant danger of nav
ing one of their little ones mowet
| down by this modern peril, the crimi
| nally careless driver.
Don't let us overlook the fact tina
several years ago one of the city are
| engines crashed through the fence o
a citizens property and killed his lit
tie boy, and as far as know the oni.
settlement made was paltry sum O
several hundred dollars paid to tn
father in exchange for the life of BIZ
! little son. Some time later yount
i hoy was killed on East Central ave
| nue. and the youth that was drivin!