Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-26

collection of revenue for the state, is to provide regulation and discipline which will help to promote safe oper- ation of motor vehicles, is the commits sioners view. Therefore, any motor vehicle act is necessarily more law of regulation than it is a criminal law. The test for his department, he says, is that determination as to whether the principle regulation be considered or whether punishment be imposed, de- bends upon whether there is wiiful in to revocation and suspension of licenses. "In connection with the suspension Of operators licenses ',:the report says that ''it has always been the policy of the department to remove permanently from the road any operator who is disquali= fled either by some disability, mental c. physical, or who, by virtue of his tenn
 peranent, has shown that he is not dc sirable on the roads, The Commission ation of car while under the inf1u- ence of intoxicating liquors is much more frequent than in recent years.
 Officials of the department gave over sS7 hearings ;-on cal Ses involving possi- ble suspension or revocation of licenses during the fiscal year ended June 30 last which, is the period covered by the report. -.. -- The offense of operating before becom- | ing of age is regarded as troublesome. The statistics of the department do not show. however, any extraordinary num- | Der of accidents charged against min 1 ors under 21 years old as compared with those older, but they do apparently 1 show that the ages between 24 and 2s wears are those during which accidents
 are most. apt to happen. The state l law makes it illegal for any person under Is years old to operate motor vehi-
 cle on the public highways, unless un-
 der the instruction and in the presence of licensed operator. A bill to droI the age minimum to 16 years was de feated in the last session of. the legisla.
 ture. 'The law as 1t now stands" the
 commissioner says. lis a difficult law tc
 enforce and definite age without quail. ication should be adopted"
 An idea of the increase of motor ve. hicle operators entitled to use Connecti cut highways and the volume of busi ness in the motor vehicle department i. given by table in the report showing that receipts of the department have jumped from $238,12o.S9 in 1911 to $3,
 4Q9,04ISS in 1922, and that the mum Der of licensed operators has increased from 26,241 in 1912 to 164,0l1 in 1922 ] trespondingly, it is explained, and gen
 eral accidents reported have increase,
 from 6.S7S in 1920 to 7,013 in 1921 t 10,300 this year. To some extent tn increase in numbers recorded is du. : to, the fact that the aggressive polio of securing reports is more and nor successful The number of accident
 which result in serious injury or death, i ! practically. the same in 1922 as it wa in 1920 and 1921, but the number c
 slight accidents which result in sralle approximate damage has much increas ed. To the commissioner, 1t seems fair . | argue from this that there is a great CT approximate degree of caution O the part of operators than formerly. II Statistics and charts of fatal acc | dents are appended to the report Every
 one who considers them, the commission CT says, cannot fail to see at once ths ! what is needed Is the application k thew methods, the extension of preser l methods, still more aggressive work, ii sistence upon prevention by the adoI tion of all reasonable devices, an insis ence upon severe discipline The con U parison with all other states is fayorab ! to Connecticut.
 ]; Safety Week in September. 1921, VIZ ! a success, says the report. It reduce <-SStN@~A@$S CSeA41SS%HS0S SSk proximately 10 per cent. for the re lio of the year following. A survey of T, suit of Safety Week includes the fo Allowing under the heading. Children Il volved in Fatal Accidents"
 ii Jan. 1 to Dec. s1. 1920: 4s per cen
 of victims were under 16 years old.
 Jan, 1 to Aug. 31, 1891: 50 per cer of victims were under Is years old. | Sept I. to Dec 1, 1921 3our montl
 following safety week): s per cent.
 victims were children under Is.
 \ Jan.. 1 to Nov. 30, 1922: 37 per .cer
 Eof victims were under IS years old.
 Other statistics given in the repo
 to show the success of Safety Week ha
 already, been printed. fzl - .ss There iszsa spirit of investigation
 the professional administration of mot
 iyehicles all over the United States whi shows that there, is the stirring of Il great movement towards traffic safety i The same condition applies in | measure to commercial motor vehicl HI and a decentralization for changes If bring about more equitable fee systt ] in this respect is made, As an exarhp
 trucks used in the ice cream busi1s