Evening star., 1924-11-11
TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
Permits
BY GUS 4. SCHULDT,
Judge, Police and Traffic Courts.

A marriage license costs 81. A
| license to operate an automobile 81.
| 1t may be that the difference in price
| is due to the fact that the author
| tiles consider running an automobile
| more of hazardous undertaking
| than running a wife and household.
The sections Of the traffic regula-
tions relating to permits read as
| follows:
ANY person desiring q permit to
| operate motor vehicles shall make
| application to the Traffic Bureau OF
the Police Department on the pre-
| scribed form: Provided, that no per-
| NIT shall be issued to operate any
| Of the above mentioned vehicles to
| any person whose physical defects
such as blindness. deafness or other
| disa bilities, would make the opera
| tion of a motor vehicle by such per-
| son menace to the public safety.
1.-The officer in charge of the Traffic
| Bureau of the Metropolitan Police De-
| partment shall cause all applicants to
| be examined as to their knowledge of
| the traffic regulations of the District
Of Columbia and ability to operate
/ motor vehicles, and shall. if deemed
necessary. require a practical demon
Ttration as to ability to operate motor
vehicles"
Tests Always Made.
Practical demonstration as to abil-
ity to operate cars is now invariab bl y
| made. Questions are also asked rela-
| tive to applicants knowledge of the
| traffic regulations. Many operators
! have secured their licenses to drive
| before the practical demonstra ton
was inaugurated and simply upon
| oral questions and answers.
Experience has shown that it is
| absolutely necessary that practi
demonstration should be made, and
the tendency Is to make them more
/ thorough and extensive.
In the trial of cases it is amazing
to find such ignorance of the regu-
| lations. which it is presumed the
| his permit. Even the essential speed
regulations are not known, and an
swers as to speed vary from 6 to 80
miles an hour. With such testimony
| it is evident that examinations are
not of such character as to i'm
! press the applicant, or that what
/ they have crammed. for the purpo Sc
OF the examination, is soon forgot
ten. This leads one to the conclusion
that there should be periodical re-
examinations to test the drivers as
to their knowledge OF the regula- =
tions, at least. In case they do not
make satisfactory marks their per-
mits should be suspended until they
do. While full acquaintance of the
! regulations is essential, the knowl-
edge of the mechanism of the car
More than cursory test as to start
ing, stopping. backing and turning
the car should be given.
Mechanism Of Car.
Examiners familiar with the rechan-
ism OF the car should ask such uues-
tions as every driver should know for
his own protection. 1t is pitiable to see
when some minor defect stops a car, the
helplessness Of the majority Of drivers.
There should be no reason for this. If
| a knowledge Of the car was had in the
majority of cases adjustment could be
made Immediately. 1t would also cause
less collisions
No permit should be issued unless a
person is in full possession of all his
| faculties. His eyesight should be good.
as also his hearing. He should not be
manned. as 1t is essential to use both
| the hands and feet in the operation of
! an automobile. He should not be ner-
vous and be should not be nerveless.
One is as bad as the other One makes,
! for timidity and indecision, and the
other for taking of chances and reck-
lessness. In other words. a person with
! no judgment should be barred
Predicts Mental Te&tA
I also believe that it will not be long
before mental tests will be made
! throughout the United States to gauge
! the capacity of a person to operate a
| car. This will include the applicant S
| judgment, temperament and reaction. II
! is evident that some of the present
drivers would fail to qualify under such
test.
The traffic. regulations prohibit the
! issuance of permit to operate an auto
mobile to any person under IS, except
pleasure vehicles belonging to his or
! her parents. The court recently stated
that no person under 1s should operate
car. and that the age to operate
| should at least be 81, and termed
! these youths Immature drivers" For
/ instance, the danger of allowing a
| youth to drive a truck can readily be
seen. A youth of Is generally has not
! the mental poise necessary for this
hazardous task. The mind is not stabil-
| lied, and it is we'll known that youth
| will take chances an older person would
! shun. The court received many letters
! from parents protesting against this
view, but is still Of the same opinion. OF