Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-01-27
The State Police and Automobile
Traffic

!
Troopers of the new State Police
Force have made their presence
known in many communities through
out South Jersey the past few weeks.
Numerous minor infractions of the
automobile laws have been noted by
the troopers. While the offenders in
most instances have been let off with
a warning, it is apparently within
their duties to keep an eye pealed for
all infractions of the traffic laws. Cog
nizance of this fact comes with some
what of a surprise to many, who had
considered the state troopers as a
higher branch of the law, to be used
in cases where the local authorities
were unable to cope with situations;
in other words, to aid in the proven
ton and detection of crime.
A technical infraction of the traffic
rules cannot truly be classified as a
crime, and there is a feeling that the
local authorities should be entirely
competent to handle such conditions.
To prevent reckless driving should
most assuredly come under supervis-
ion of any branch of law enforcement;
driving at night without lights,
whether it be motor or horse drawn
vehicle, is a n to others; driv-
ing a car while in an intoxicated con-
dition is z menace; all of these things
would logically come under the juris-
diction of the State Police or any
other officer.
When it comes to the enforcement
of local parking rules, there are many
who feel that it is not a matter with
which the State Troopers must neces
sarily engage themselves unless re-
quested to by the local authorities.
Motor vehicle laws must necessarily
be broad and drastic to meet all con-
ditions of driving and drivers. The
fact that a law must cover such a
broad scope of conditions makes it
equally necessary that it be inter-
preted and enforced in a broad way.
The same law covers the ~cOngested
city traffic and the small town traffic,
vet conditions are totally different. 1t
is not necessary to enforce certain
traffic rulings in the country which
are absolutely essential in the city.
The law requires all standing cars to
be lighted, making no provision
whether the street in which 1t is
standing be a lighted one or not.
Traffic authorities in the cities have
found that it is dangerous to moving
traffic to have all standing car lighted
when they are standing in streets al
ready adequately lighted, and they ig-
more the law.
Bridgeton authorities several years
ago attempted to enforce the law in
reference to lights while cars were
parked at curb, and the storm of pro-
test was so just and so insistent that
they changed their policy. In like
manner, it is essential in cities, that
all vehicles be parked to the right of
the street in the direction they are
headed. 1t takes a wide stretch of the
imagination to state that it is equally
essential that cars be similarly parked
in the open country or small villages
towns. Local authorities in prac-
all country communities have
realized this and there has been no
effort to enforce provisions that would
be irksome without being actually
beneficial. The State Police Force
should use the same discretion, and
themselves with matters of I'M
import and menace, rather
than apply themselves to the enforce
ment of city regulations in country
communities.