Evening star., 1924-09-13
THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM
BY ERNEST GREENWOOD

can be checked up, just as he Is re-
quired to give references IL he wishes
to borrow money from a bank or
open an account at a department
store. No person of ill repute is able
to obtain a surety bond. How much
more important 1t is to determine
the character of an applicant for per-
mission to drive a motor car.
But none of these things can be
done without legislation compelling
the driver of motor vehicle to have
a drivers license. 1t is almost as
useless for individual States here and
there to do them unless all the States
have similar legislation. If every
State had a license law, and even
partially adequate competency test
very few licenses would fall into the
hands OF persons not entitled to
them. The driver refused a license in
one State or who had his license re-
voked would have great difficulty in
obtaining one anywhere, else by some
simple system of interchange Of in
formation. If required to give ref
erences it would be difficult to secure
one under an assumed name.
X X
Under this scheme the revocation
OF license for repeated violations of
the traffic laws becomes drastic
penalty. Even suspension of license
would cause such Inconvenience that
the very thought of it would result
in a safety state Of mind. 1t should
be made so difficult to obtain a
license that the average person would
think twice before taking chance on
losing it. Penalties for driving with
out a license could be made suffi-
ciently severe: Jail sentences or
permanent seizure of the car would
suffice.
AS an accident prevention measure
drastic license requirements are only
valuable under a uniform system in
all the States. Curiously enough, there
is considerable opposition particu-
1arly in rural communities. The farm
ers waged a strong fight in New York
against the license provisions in the
present law of that State. Farmers
in the agricultural States of the
Middle West and the West have sue
cessfully fought legislation along
these lines They claim that the cost
and inconvenience of having to Sc
cure drivers licenses for their wives,
children and hired men is too great
a hardship.
In any event, the use of the license
as an accident prevention measure
must be nationwide to be effective
1t would, of course, be possible for
those States which do have drastic
legislation in this regard and which
have proved that it reduced the acci-
dent rate to refuse reciprocity to
those States having no such require
ments. When dealing with a national
crisis nothing is too drastic if Il
accomplishes the purpose. Further
more. the American people might just
as well face facts. The motor vehicle
commi ssioners in those States that
lead in accident prevention and street
and highway safety claim that they
can prove the value of the system
and if it will work in one State it
viii work in all.
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Objection has been made on the
ground that it is physical impossi-
bility to give physical examinations
make exhaustive competency tests
cant's qualifications does not rest on
the State. 1t rests on the applicant
He can be required to bring to the
from reputable persons, which can be
checked up. All the State has to do
is to test the ability to drive.
Just one thing more. To make
system of licensing complete the
license itstlf should be in such form.
that every time the holder is arrested
that fact could be entered on it. If
as some people claim, drivers who
cause accidents are a distinct class,
this class would soon be eliminated
from the highways.
Copyright, 1924. by Current News Features,
Incl