Evening star., 1924-01-22

U. y. lRAFFlC CUURF,
NO LIMIT ON SPEED,
ASKED BY SENATORS
Continued from First Pase.)
can predict 1t with any certainty, and
lit is probably not to come in the very
near future.
ThTee Remedies Seen.
''There arc three sound ways OF
amefforating the problem that lis pre-
Seutcd by the increasing use OF the
automobile and the recklessness of
|tlrivers. The first has TO do with
the present generation. The second
with the coming generation. The
third with combination of the two.
''The present generation consists of
those who arc driving today Any
one hut a normal adult should be
prohibited from operating Il motor
car.
Such a law should be enacted, and
its infrartion considered a serious Of
fense against the law. An automobile
weighing IL ton or more and capable
of high speed can logically be viewed
rs q dangerous weapon when placed
In the wrong hands. The passage of
such a law would take from behind
the wheels Of automobiles in the Dis
trict a large number of people men
tally, physically and morally unfit to
drive them. The examination for an
operators license should be most
thorough and rigid both as TO physi-
cal, mental and moral aspects.
'fHavinS disposed of that class of
offenders. attention should be turned
to the normal persons who, under
such law. have the right to operate
a motor car. but who take chances
that endanGer life and property. Il
has been clearly demonstrated that
such people cannot be Influenced TO
change their ways OF driving as long
as thsir .offenses are lightly regarded.
Tt has been demonstrated with equal
clarity that they can be influenced
by vigorous methods.
"a man will laugh as he pays
moderate fine for speeding or pass
ing standing street car. But when
he spends ten days In Jail and has
his operators license revoked for
thirty dys or more he returns to his
aut tornobile fairly well convinced that
reckless driving is something real,
SOM ething serious, something to be
carefully guarded against IN the fu-
ture.
Pedestrinn F,art1, Bsuned.
1T must in ali fairness be admit
ted that the motorfst is not always
to blame when a pedestrian is run
down. In many cases the pedestrian
Is morally at fault, II not legally.
According TO the theory of traffic
control and regulation. the sidewalks
belong to the pedestrian and the
streets. except for Intersections and
designated crosswalks. to vehtcular
traffic. When pedestrian crosses
the street iii the middle Of the block
he fs encroachins upon the territory
Iof the motorist.
At the present time that situation
.eyists only in theory but the time
VIII come. and soon, when that theory
Will become a fact and a law. and the
pedestrian who crosses a heavy traf-
'fic street except at the designated
places or contrary TO signal at inter
sections where p traffic officer is on
duty will be ss liable TO arrest as the
driver who would run his car on 10
the side walk.
However II would be 4 mistake TO
pass such law. To enforce IL would
require literally hundreds of police
men on the busy downtown streets.
To pass IL and not enforce IL would
be foolish. The enactment and en-
forcenlent of such a law viii come,
however, when the public has been
educated as to the rights and privi-
leges of pedestrians as well as those
of autoists
| "A fine for pedestrians who permit
themselves to be struck by an auto
mobile Is an attempt at 6. solution OF
the traffic problem in Colorado
Springs. Engineers who have made
the survey there report that two
thirds OF the automobile accidents
fault OF the pedestrians themselves.
who wilSully disregard the traffic
rules in jay-walking, cutting cross
the corners and not observing the
t-asffc policemen or automobile traffic
as they should
"By rules and regulations Of the
Com mfssioners, all policemen should be
required to scantion and warm pedes-4
trians seen crossing downtown busi-
ness streets at other than designated
cr1osSwaHs.
When we have convinced the pres
eIn generation by Jail sentences, pro-
baton and revocation of licenses, and,
! by education, the coming generation,
that q comparatively few people are
endanrering the lives Of pedestrians
drivers, public opinion will be able to
put the reckless driver in the criminal
class, where he belongs as public
menace.
Severe Fines Urged.
, Assuming that the educational
process II a slow one and that the
pedestrian is not yet ready to be re-
stricted to the use Of the streets only
at cross-walks, we must, for the pres
ent. do the best we can by ruthless
treatment OF reckless drivers, by pro-
bationary periods and severely heavy
fines
In the opinion of your committee
! there should be no speed limit tf1x ed
or attempted TO be enforced, but
there should be a rigid enforcement
of the reckless-driving regulation.
Reckless driving, as has been said,
consists in driving in such manner as
! to endanger life OF limb or property.
Failure to slow down at street IN
driving in many instances, as would
also driving On the wrong side of the
, street in an effort to pass other
machines, passing two cars already
zones. passing street cars which are
stopped to take on or discharge pas
sengers, etc, etc. All these viola
tiens should be severely punished.
Amy person convicted OF reckless
driving should be punished not only
by a heavy fine for the first offense,
but repetition OF the offense should
be punished by Imprisonment and
compulsory revocation Of his opera
tors license. y.
No permit revoked for these rea-
sons should be reissued OF renewed
under any circumstances for at least
one year, and should then be reissued
for q probationary period and upon
60, 6oiH Hnt q n nf bn
traffic bureau that the applicant is
then q fit and proper person to oper-