The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-05-05
Verboten, Verboten, Verboten!

q OXETBING must be radically wrong with
- District Of Columbia traffic laws when 5000
arrests for their violation made in one
month while, during the time, $40 casualties
reported
Are they impracticable1 Are they numerous
and complicated that the average driver must take
n course in good law college to understand
them? Has Washington lot of obnoxious and
useless blue laws" its traffic code? All these
questions, it seems, are pertinent.
For example. how many District people know
nat it is illegal for two to ride on the bicyce
yet three arrested during April for violation
OF this rule, police records show Two others
afou of the law because their license tags were
placed improperly.
Washington policemen must have excellent
memories to keep all these in mind and at the
same time attend to their other duties. Disrespect
for law is bred when many petty regulations
imposed the people. Readers must remember
that the 5000 arrests during April did not include
one-tenth Of the actual violations The average
car owner in Washington breaks law at
least twice day. 1t is almost impossible, in fact,
to obey some OF the District traffic regulations.
The Commute parking rule is good example.
On the other hand, pedestrians continue to be
killed and injured. New laws made and en-
forced but the death list does not grow less. All
difficult city in which to regulate traffic and that
reasonably rigid examinations required before
citizens given authority to drive.
Similar conditions exist, however, in most
large cities Of the United States. Perhaps the
remedy does not rest with local authorities Auto
mobile traffic is increasing rapidly. Nearly 1000
driving permits issued last month in
Washington alone. II may be that this problem
has reached the point where entirely new
system is necessary to safeguard human lives Petty
laws, certainly, do not prove a remedy.
Perhaps, the other hand, if attention
were paid to enforcement of the few important
and practical rules and less to the nuisance
yerbotens' conditions would be better. Intoxicated
and reckless drivers who exceed speed limits with
IMMUNITY contribute almost the entire casualty list
They are far more dangerous than the ignorant
and nervous individuals who find driving in traffic
form of torture and who err in the direction Of
too great precaution. Some professional hackers"
bad offenders 1t is not uncommon, when
crossing some circle sfoot to of these men
laugh maiciousy he misses a pedestrian by
inches This laugh is of the most exasperatng
insults ever experienced by the average citizen
Drunken chauffeurs, despite the prohibition laws,
not uncommon. With dull, whrling brains and
eiouded eyes they speed through the streets with
otter disregard for the comfort of those who must
walk 1t is encouraging to note, from the police
report, that the traffic department is not blind to
the fact that its principal duty lies in restraining
law violators in these two classes They placed
over 700 under arrest during April ian interesting
commentary in itself against only $40 for break
ing parking rules This shows that Capt Headley
and his appreciate their chief duty even if they
do spend time making arrests which serve no
Useful purpose whatsoever. We fear. however, from
the excellent start made, that the number who run
f0ui laV ,yitI he thrire
$40 during May.