The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-12-18

will tend materially to the proven
ton of accidents.
In the opinion of the committee
these proposed laws are bound tt
have great weight as deterrents, ant
constitute a threat, with the sane
ton of the state behind it, In ad
vance of the accident that certain
penalties will be incurred. And tn,
force Of the threat lies in the fac
that the penalties must affect the
owner or driver, or both, and car
not be evaded.
The committee also recommend
that all of the states adopt the prin
ciple of certification and registration
or titles of motor vehicles. This II
intended primarily to reduce the
number of automobile thefts which
result in an annual loss estimated al
from $100,O00,000 to $15O,00O,
900.
However, many traffic accidents
involve stolen cars, for the individ
ual who steals machine Is usually
dangerous and reckless driver, and
it is believed that this law would
tend to reduce accidents by striking
effectively at the theft evil.
Two-thirds OF the states have moi
yet enacted title certification laws
A person, therefore, may steal cal
in a state having law of this kind
and transport it to a neighborine
state which does not have such rigid
legislation There 1t may be sold
with considerably less danger of de-
lection. Obviously, under these cir
cumstances maximum benefits are
not obtained through existing laws,
and the advantage of having uniform
title laws on the statute books of all
states becomes apparent.
Maryland and Michigan authori-
ties are quoted as stating that a SO
per cent reduction in theft losses has
resulted since their laws went into
effect, and insurance companies have
recognized the effectiveness of this
legislation by a reduction in rates in
some states. The United States
as favoring the principle of the GER
LITIGATION and registration of motor
vehicle titles.
~fhe committee found that at the
present time practically every COM
pany that insures automobiles makes
some effort to direct the drivers of
cars along lines of safety. This eff
fort ranges from the distribution of
windshield posters containing sug-
gestions for careful driving to the
formation and conduct of drivers
schools for the special benefit of
fleet operators.
Some companies and at least one
national automobile association have
compiled and made available to
automobile drivers an instruction
book or manual dealing with such
subjects as rules of the road and
commonly accepted principles of
safe driving. There is, however, no
in the work now being
carried on and the committee be-
ieves that the insurance companies
should and would cooperate in any
movement tending to bring about
he compilation, publication and dis
.ributiOn of drivers manual which |
would give in simple language and |
proper form such instruction as |
night easily be memorized by any
me.
On the suggestion that insurance
rate individual risks on
he basis of merit rating is,
i've the driver who never has had |
n accident policy at a lower rate
the committee takes a strong neg
tive stand. 1t does not think that
would tend to reduce accidents,
While it would necessitate an in
rease in basic insurance rates.
In this connection it is interesting
o know that when an automobile
river has had an accident he is sup
osed to be through with that sort
t thing for twenty years. That is,
ne accident in twenty years is the
tatistical allotment to each ma
hine. Five cars out of each hun
red, to state it another way, have
n accident each year