The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
UNIFORM TRAFFIC
 LAW GREAT NEED.
Would Be Much Help To Thou sands Of Tourists, Says ;
 Chamberlain <
By PERCY CHAMBERLAIN

l V Every year the automobile is be- coming greater factor in interstate transportation, "A constant stream of traffic flows from east to west and back again, in. season, just as the tide comes and goes. In the winter thou sands of automobiles travel from north to south. In the spring they travel back again m <. Few owners of motor cars nowa- days who have not been out of their honne states. Ist
 Where this article is written---in the state of Washington--cars from every state in the union and parts of Canada may be seen on the highways.
 And in every state through which these tourists have passed, has a diff ferent set of laws for the motoriSt. In every city traffic regulations are different.
 How long will it be before the great need for uniform: laws. and driving signals is recognized? S.s.
 In California, Oregon and Washing ton the main highways are posted with signs informing the motorists that the speed limit is 20 miles per hour in cities and 30 miles per hour on the highways. This is . help.
 Massachusetts = and some other states-have posted signs informing the tourist of the state laws affecting speed, headlights, parking, etc. This is a greater help.
 It is hard for the tourist to know what the laws are. A compliance with the headlight law, for instance, in one state may mean you are violating the headlight law in another state.
 With the exception of the occasional road signs mentioned above, have vet to have any city or state inform me as a driver what the laws are. The theory is, I presume, that I must in- form myself of the laws-which is fine in theory. But a little real service along this line would help thousands of motorists.
 Some cities require visitors licenses after certain number of hours. Others do not. Some states require them after Q certain number of days. Others do not. A fellow traveller told me recently that he was fined in a certain city because he had been in town more than 72 hours without talk ing out local license. Coming into Seattle recently from the south traffic officer handed me card as passed him. It proved to be a Welcome to Seattle" card with l a map of the city on the reverse side and the address of the place to go for all information.
 It was an appreciated courtesy. It might have gone further and informed me of the city traffic laws.
 It is possible that there are draw backs to uniform automobile law with which this writer is not familiar, However, it is entirely possible to erect signs at every state line inform ing the motorist of the laws of the state which he is entering,
 It also seems entirely possible to mark main roads 80 the stranger can find his way by night or by day. Some road signs are placed so high in the air that it is impossible to see them at night without stopping and getting out of the car.
 One of the chief factors in. making California the paradise it is for motor tourists is the>way in which the >Au- tomobile club of southern California has marked the roads. Other states have intelligent markings also, notably Wisconsin and Ohio. ss' | There is & wonderful opportunity for improvement along this line. Tour ist revenue is the foremost industry in some states and automobile travel is increasing in every state,
 One of the most uncomfortable feel ings in the world is not to be sure of the road you are travelling.
 It will all come, no doubt, when law-makers begin to think of the au-