San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-18
TRAFFIC IN ENGLAND.

American cities have no monopoly OF
traffic problems. Although this is the
land of the automobile, which is the
greatest factor in traffic problems, ours
are not the only streets in the world
that are not safe for democracy. That
the English are in a similar, though not
exactly the same boat" is plainly shown
by an article, entitled Reckless Motor
ing" in a recent issue of magazine
published in London.
When Americans motor they go out
between cities to do it. They motor in
from" or motor out to" their country
homes, or to or from summer resort.
But they never motor through a
crowded street There they "drive." So,
we speak of RECKLESS driving; we never
say RECKLESS motoring
But that doesn't prevent the English
from saying it-and the English gen.
orally do what they say. Wherefore, we
must not think that it is purely affecta-
ton on the part of Londoners when they
speak of RECKLESS motoring in connec-
ton with their city's traffic problems.
"The congestion in London" the
article reads, sis getting as bad as that
in New York" Do tell "In London
alone last year over 1900 people were
injured in the streets and 595 were
killed"
1t must be bad-it evidently is. What
are the English going to do about it?
They are a long-suifering people, but
when they get good and started they
are likely to go into action. Apparently
they have begun to go into action over
this RECKLESS motoring business. They
have stood all that sort of thing about
long enough. Their word! Yes, and
Americans might do worse than take it on
its face, for what it may be worth to
this country.
The English, while not pretending to
believe that pedestrians who get run
over are necessarily blamele5s, are on
the trail of the reckless motorist. In
fact, they have him by the neck, and
they are striking him where it hurts the
most. First, they threaten to take his
license away; just let him repeat" il
he dare, and the threat is made good.
1t is a simple formula: First offense
results in an endorsement" of his Ii
cense. This means, it seems, that an
officer writes his name on the back OF
the license and records also thereon the
nature and date of the offense. In addi-
ton the reckless motorist may be fined
heavily, or jailed, or both fined and i'm
prisoned. Repeated offenses rlay result
in permanent cancellation of the license
to say nothing of heavier fines, or longer
terms of imprisonment, or both. Thus
are eliminated the worst offenders.
But there seems to be RECKLESS motor
ing on English highways as we'll as or
Londons congested streets. The high
ways, although not exactly congested
are inadequate to the traffic. an Eng
land" the article goes on, "the number Of
cars is greatly outstripping the road ca
pacity, and until we can widen ant
straighten Our roads, arrange loops anc
| speedways, a reform which must AZ best
take a long time, we must face the fac
that the roads are going TO become no
less but more dangerous"
Sounds like California.
We have Our street-traffic problem:
right here in San Antonio. But ou
highways-our Bexar county highways
Oh. boy! (Pardon-our word y We car
still motor" in the good American
sense, over our interurban highways. Tn,
trouble web England is not enough land
General moral: Come to Texas.
Particular moral: Come to Sar
Antonio.