Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-01-08
Traffic Lazg Vi0lat0rS To Feel
Weight of La7g; Chief Mobitt
PLansE,1t0rcen1ent Campaign

4
| especially the owners and drivers
of motor vehicles for cooperation
in stamping out reckless and care
less automobile driving, which has
resulted in more than 100 acci-
dents on the streets of the city
during the past two. months, in
many of which people have been
injured, Chief of Police Verden
M. Moffitt today announced
campaign to rid Salem of traffic
law violations.
Violations Must Stop
"This practice of motor vehicle
drivers plotting their automobiles
and motorcycles as they please,
and without any apparent regard
for the traffic ordinances and
safety of other drivers and pedes-
trians is going to be stopped, said
Chief Moffitt. THE policy of being
lenient with these offenders does
not pay. Hereafter, instead of
pointing out to offenders wherein
they were at fault, the police are
BOlHS 10 dlIeSl Oil VI dNAAS "a" 'AN
| lators.
Ignorance of the provisions of
the traffic laws Is absolutely not
| to be taken as an eXcuse.l If man
| or woman does not know what the
requirements of the law are, he or
she should not be allowed to drive
Drive Starts at Once
While it will be several days be-
fore Chief Moffitt can put his
| campaign into full operation, due
to delay in the hiring iof police Of
ficers by the council, the present
force will inaugurate the new pol
| icy at once it is announced.
Complaints that drivers of de-
| livery cars and trucks are paying
next to no attention to the traffic
laws are going to come in for
their share of official attention
under the plans as framed.
"The practice of delivery car
drivers of running up and down
| both sides of the streets, parking
their cars wherever most conven-
lent while they deliver packages,
! speeding, cutting corners and run
ming their cars without proper
lights is going to be stopped. Com
plants of these violations have
been flooding the police station
and they are going to be given at
tention," said Chief Moffitt.
All Offenders Target
"But, the campaign to eliminate
the accidents that have been oc-
three a day is not going to be con-
fined to any one class of Offend
ers. Every provision. of the traf-
fic ordinance of the city is going
to be enforced. am instructing
my men to pick up all offenders.
no matter who they may be, or
what their excuses. If they have
anything to say they can say it to
the judge.
automobile and truck drivers
are the most frequent offenders
and they are to get their share of
attention from the police; but
persons riding bicycles after dark
without lights and drivers of
horse drawn vehicles who fail to
display lights both on the front
and rear of their vehicles, as re-
auired by the city ordinance, are
to be arrested.
No Leniency, Edict
1--WE are going to enforce the
traffic laws to the letter and vio-
lators can expect no leniency af-
ter today.
Reckless drivers, who have
been responsible for nine tenths of
the accidents in Salem in the past
fare going to feel the force of the
laws designed to deal with them.
Where a driver is arrested and
convicted Of reckless driving I am
going to make application TO have
his license annulled."