Evening star., 1925-03-22
HONOR PLAN URGED.
!. FOR AUTO DRIVERS.
Accidents FeWest Where Po-
lice Are Least Severe,
Traffic Survey Reveals.

Does the motorist want to be placed
on his own honor with respect TO
safety in driving?
improvements in fatality and acci-
dent records throughout the country
the' Washington Automotive Trade
Association says the matter is worth
considering.
In a recent bulletin the dealers
organization calls attention to the
TACT that while traffic was unusually
heavy during the past Winter, there
was re duction generally in policing,
nut with an actual decrease in the
number of accidents.
previous Investigations by the w.
A. T. a. traffic committee, according
TO the bulletin, have shown the Win
ter months TO be sufficie ntly hazard >
Gus TO offset any decrease In the nor
NAL street and highway traffic, thus
rendering it logical to look to the
matter of law enforcement for the
variations between Summer and Win
ter safety.
Decrease Nationwide.
notwithstanding the normal in
crease in registrations and the in
creased travel as a result of an open
winter" reads the bulletin. there
were 81 fewer accidents in Connecti-
cut during the month of February as
compared with February a year ago.
Ihere was virtually no policing of
many of the highways
The police forces of Chicago. St.
Louis and Los Angeles have failed to
keep pace with the enormous in
crease in motor traffic, yet all thre e
of these cities report Improvement
IN fatal motor accidents in January
or this year as compared with the
same month year ago.
is 1t possible, the refore that the
conscientious car owner and driver
wishes to be placed on his honor? Is
ne learning how to drive safely? Or
ls law enforcement being more ef-
hclIntly handled by fewer men with
greater results?
The W. A. T. A. respectfully sub
nllts these facts and speculations for
the careful consideration of the mo-
torist, the public official and the safe
" worker In this come ction, how
ever IL IS important to consider GER
tam cases which tend to shed light
on the subject as a whole
one of the most dangerous streets
IN an eastern city is constantly pa
trolled by a severe motor cycle Off
Ger about seven months of the wear.
During this period accidents and ia =
ialities are numerous. Arrests are
equally numerous, and motorists COM
plain of being watched like school
boys. During the Winter months
when the thoroughfare is even more
Congested by reason of banks of snow
at the curbs, there is no police vigil
lance, yet this Winter there was a.
marked reduction in the number of
accidents.
Fourteen out of every fifteen street
N
without police protection for traffic,
Vet in January of this year New York
cut down fatalities TO the extent of
40, as compared with January a
year ago.
''One motorist tells of having
driven past one policeman at the
rate OF 40 miles an hour without be-
ing reprimanded. He contends that
there is far less temptation TO. speed
and when he is placed on his honor
This is in line with the thought of
some of the motor vehicle authori-
ties and safety advocates
Need Experienced Men.
additional police have been de-
manded by some of the safety asso-
Citations as necessity at this time,
but the W. A. T. A. investigation also
shows that the larger cities are in
creasing police forces only as they
can obtain the right sort of men.
The quality of enforcement is con-
sidered to be of greater Importance
than the quantity. This point was
emphasized in one city by complaints
against the practice of trying out in
experienced men on prominent
streets, the motorists contending that
low quality of the traffic direction
was a direct incentive to accidents"
The Washington dealers announce,
through their association, that the
policy with respect to this subject
as IL applies in the District will be
one of cooperation with the Police
Department in an effort to assure
the public better trained traffic off,
GERS and a higher standard of traffic
direction, even if there are fewer men
in proportion to the number OF motor
vehicles. Any conclusions drawn
from the traffic committees bulletin
the association points out, tend to
show that while the motorist desires
a strong central traffic system of law
enforcement, he does not want to
be bounded at every point, preferring
m be nut on his honor