Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-07-31
EM|MERSON TO AID
enforcement Or
AUTOMOBILE LAWS
iNsTRucTs INSPECTORS TO co.
OPERATE IN COMPELLING ODE.
DlENcE TO SAFETY FIRST
RULEs OBSERVANCE SAVES
LIVES.

Automobile Investigators, working
under orders from Secretary of State
Louis l.. EmmersOn. will devote Il
great deal OF attention this summer t.
enforcement Of safety.hrst laws OF
the road. These Investigators were
used the first time last year by thc
secretary Of state under an act adopted
by the last general assembly. There
Is only Il limited number Of them and
their time this season has been de
voted SO far principally TO rounding
up automobile owners who have failed
to secure 1922 licenses. They have
this work well In hand now and dur.
ing the remainder of the season will
also pay attention to other automo.
bile laws.
They will urge local authorities t
cooperate fully in the enforcement OF
all these laws.
What Law Provides.
pHhtcs M ~ laws VI Tue IOGN AZ
clude the following:
Regulation regarding the dimming
Of headlights.
Requiring that automobiles be
stopped before going over a grad,
crossing where there is stop" sign
and that at all other crossings slow
down TO 10 miles per hour.
Limiting the speed of automobiles
TO 10 miles per hour in business sec
tons of cities and villages, - mile,
per hour in residence sections, p
miles per hour in sparsely settled sec
lions, and not TO exceed 80 miles al
hour on the public highways.
Requiring that automobiles bt
equipped with good brakes and suit
able signalling device.
Prohibiting any person under iiftcer
years Of age from driving moto
vehicle on the public highways VI
less accompanied by the owner or
licensed chauffeur.
Giving the right of way to persons
coming from the right
Requiring that vehicles keep to the
right in passing vehicles coming from
the opposite direction and that they
pass to the left Of vehicles goinl
In the same direction.
Prohibiting the driver from turn.
Ing or stopping without giving a sigma
by outstretched arm or otherwise.
Prohibiting the driving of an auto
mobile within 10 feet of a street cal
loading or discharging passengers, ex.
cept by the express direction Of q
traffic officer.
inspectors Will Act.
I'm the past" Secretary Of State
Emmerson says, 1--WE have urged
strict compliance with all of these
laws, and have asked loca.
authorities to do all in their power &c
enforce them. That was all we could
do seltil the last legislature gave my
Office power to appoint inspectors
with authority TO make arrests
"Of course, with the limited mum
IVA VI AISpNNlplS at NY 'piIIIldlINl,
cannot hope actively to enforce these
laws In every community, but the in
spectors will be moved about in such
a way as to get the maximum result
By calling on local authorities at fire.
quent intervals and by publicity, they
will be of great benefit in enforcing
all of the road laws just as they have
been in decreasing violations of the
state license law.
Notwithstanding the remarkable
growth in the number of automobiles
from $4,000 to nearly 100000 in the
past ten years, laws regarding their
operation have kept pace with chang
Ing conditions and the safety proyi.
sions relative to the operation of mo.
tor vehicles on the public highway
are ample for the protection of the
public. Like every other law, how
ever unless these regulations are
strictly enforced they fail in their
object.
Would Save Life.
an ulLlIy toilNlHceu tldl strict
with the laws of the road |
would decrease the number of auto
mobile accidents to practically moth |
ng.
According to the Division of Vital |
Statistics of the Department of Pub |
ic Health, there were 734 fatalities in |
he state in 1920 due to automobile |
accidents. -Four hundred and fifty |
If these were in Chicago and PSI IN |
he downstate. Nearly all of these |
we're caused by the failure Of one
II both parties concerned to obey the |
'ules of the road. Unless these rules |
IRE Obeyed the automobile, which in |
)ther respects is one of the greatest |
,oons of this age, becomes a menace.
t should be the concern of every good
'itizen to report any infraction of the
aw."