Evening star., 1924-12-04

the large cities throughout the coun-
try and would work especially well
here in view of the small number of
policemen.
Reports Not Finnl.
The system is briefly this Citizens
will report violations to the traffic
bureau. which will be carefully in
vestiGated. and II the offense is seri-
Gus enough a policeman will swear
out the complaint Under no circum-
stances will action be taken solely
on citizens report.
The Ball bill will spell the doom OF
the popular with automobile drivers
only) collateral system now in effect
All offenders will be required to ap-
pear In court, and in case collateral
is forfeited a warrant will be sworn
out for contempt of court.
Au-night parking in any section OF
the city Will be positively prohibited
These comprise the major recon
mendations in the bill. In the com
mittee report explanatory matter per-
tanning to the recommendations is
reviewed in detail
War must be declared on the reck-
less driver" the report says THE
reckless driver not only includes the
wretch who drives through the streets
while Intoxicated, but the careless or
thoughtless operator"
THE war must continue until this
type of driver is eliminated Heavy
fines and jail terms must be ap-
piled"
The report stresses the difference
between reckless driving and speed
ing, pointing out that a driver may
not necessarily be reckless II he is
driving at 80 miles an hour in the
outlying sections, but the same driver
will be reckless IL he drives at 20
miles an hour in the congested sec
tion. 1t recommends no fixed speed
limit on this account but does insist
that the arresting officer take INTO
consideration the various conditions
in charging a man with reckless
driving.
Mental Test Urged.
None but normal adults should be
issued operators permits, the report
declares. and these only after a
thorough physical mental and moral
eXamina ton.
If such regulGsa~n were rigidly
enforced. the report points out, It
would remove from the streets a large
class of incompetent drivers.
Motorists are not always to blame
in cases where pedestrians are run
down, the committee says and in
many accidents the pedestrian is
morally, If not legally, to blame
Although the committee does not
believe that the time is now at hand
for the enactment of a jay-walkers
law. 1t points out that such law is
coming about sooner or later and pc
destrians must realize this fact.
THE time is coming whan pedes-
trians who cross streets other than
at the regularly designated cross
II vi
as the motorist who drives his car
onto the Sidewalk" the committee
asserts.
Would Educate Walkers
"An educational program should be
1nauEurated at once for walkers
Traffic conditions in the big cities OF
the United states are becoming toe
congested to allow pedestrians to
wander at will through the streets
Those who walk should obey the traf.
fic officers signal and cross only a,
regularly marked intersections'
In regard to the traffic plan which
has been made an intensive campaign
by The Star, that of forcing traffic
officers to allow an interval between
the time their whistle is blown ant
,he semaphore change of direction
The committee has this to say:
Traffic officers should allow an in,
JerNal OF rev SECONDS to intervene
between the blowing of the whistl,
and the change OF direction in trafic
This plan will give pedestrians 8
hhance to anticipate the change ant
reach the other curb"
The committee also recommends the
establishment of a boulevard system
for the speeding up OF traffic. AL
rars approaching the intersection OF
one of these boulevards would be re-
quired to come to a complete stop
The special routing of all commercial
vehicle traffic is advocated
In an effort to check up on drivers
who do not stop after an accident
the report would make 1t mandatory
for all garage owners to report to the
police whenever they were ordered
to repair a smashed-up car. The po-
lice could then find out what kind
of an accident the car was in and all
the details relating to 1t. A fine of
s25 is urged for garagemen who dc
not report these repair cases.
Brake Care Demanded.
Two other important recommends
tions are made by the committee, the
first that the use of DINNERS on head