The Washington times., 1921-08-17
PUTSSP'EEDERS
IN SAME CLASS
|, ASMURDERERS
Secretary Of Juvenile Protec-
tive Society Says They es-
cape Too Lightly.

What's TO be done about the speed
demon?
Behind high-powered motor:
going fun speed. leaving couu
of dust behind him and kiinhs All
the chickens in the road, this type
OF auto driver presents one Oh .he
most vexing problems OF the age
During the past year alone,
Washington 4,s5S casualties resui,eu
rom collisions OF motor vehicles
with pedestrians or other Venicne'
according TO figures compiled by the
traffic bureau of the police depart
nent.
1.-THE speed demon should be heio
strictly accountable when MS car
runs over a pedestrian causing
death" SAYS Mrs. Edna X. Busnee'
secretary of the Juvenile Protecuve
Association, who has her own We've
on the subject.
HE should be placed under ar
rest like any other type OF murdereI
and a charge of granddaughter placed
against him. He should be gwen q
trial like any other criminal ana II
found guilty given the maximum
penalty"
THE ruthless driver and the muir
derer are all in the same class nc,
cording to my way OF tnihkhs'
continued Mrs. Bushee. rs theie
any difference in killing in this way
and with a sun?
lust the other day a little four-year-
old boy was run over and killed by an
automobile while playing near MS
home. His name was Dawson Magru-
der, Of Capitol View, Nd. A coroner
Jury called to investigate rendered q
verdict Of unavoidable accident.
Get OFF Too Easy.
these speed demons get OF TOO
easy" continued Mrs. Bushee. .Ihey
60 in, pay a fine, and that's the end
OF II to them. But not to the mother
who has lost her child"
The penalty Of colliding or running
into a pedestrian or other vehicle In
the District Of Columbia is $40 fine.
II found unavoidable, and $500 fine
or one year in prison, CT both' IL
found guilty of criminal negligence.
Mrs. Bushee is inclined to believe
that this method of dealing with the
so-called speed demon Is too milo ana
ineffective. She thinks that this OF
Tense should be taken more seriously
in the catalogue OF crime ana placed
in the same class with murder.
Visitors coming to Washington say
they have never seen such reckless
drivers in any city IN the United
States. Negro truck drivers are espe-
cially the subject Of their comment.
One woman, who has made close
study OF the problem. said she
thought IL was the wide streets In the
National Capital that caused reckless
driving. The wide sweep OF avenues
and streets, she believes, are temp
tation to the speeder.
There are many types or auto
drivers. There Is the careful driver,
tho careless driver, and the overly
careful driver. Mrs. Bushee does not
refer to these careful types, she
wishes II to be clearly understood.
She deals entirely with the speed
driver.
AH.Around Menace.
1.-THE speed demon is not only
danger to the pedestrian. but 10
the careful driver as well, contin'
ued Mrs. Bushes. taking up another
phase of the question.
I'VE were driving down steep
incline the other evening and going
very slowly and when we reached
the bottom, another car whizzed by
us at the cross road going full speed.
And II Il hadn't been for careful
driving on our part there would have
been a collision. The fast car was
driven by girl with bobbed hair,
and she was going so fast that the
breeze blew her hair back.
THE children playing in the streets
present a problem. and on this score
I am inclined to be sympathetic with
the motorist. OF course. the street
is no place for the child to play.
Deaths resulting from collisions with
children on the streets can be laid
to the parents as much as the
motoIist In most cases Of this kind,
IL is usually found that a child dis
regarded the honk or failed to even
see the car"
Mai. Harry A. Gessford superin.
tendent of police is doing all in his
newer to reduce the number Of &C.
cidents by collisions of motor We
hicies. One of the new regulations
requires that all drivers in accidents
or collisions must report it to the
police department or nearest police.
man.
During the past year over 5000
accidents resulting in minor injuries
were reported. Major Gessford be-
lieves this does not indicate an in.
crease in number, but attributes II
to the fact that for the first time